About reducing customs duty on imported products

You can reduce the costs of your imported products and increase your global competitiveness by applying to ITAC for your custom duty to be reduced.

Customs duty is a levy that you pay when you import or export goods.

According to the customs tariff policy, reduction in rate of duty on imported products is considered favourably when:

• The product is not manufactured in the Southern African Custom Union (SACU).
• The current rate of duty is not justified for encouraging and promoting a specific industry.

What you should do

• Complete an application form and submit it to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC). 

What happens after you have submitted your application form?

• ITAC will assign an investigating officer to process your application.
• When additional information is required, the investigating officer will contact you.

Timeframe

It may take between three and six months for your application to be processed.

How much does it cost

ITAC does not charge any service fees but you will have to pay customs duty at SARS. Customs duty is calculated as a percentage of the value of the goods (set in the schedules to the Customs and Excise Act). For more info on SARS customs duty, visit the SARS website.

Forms to complete

(Forms are provided in PDF format. To open PDF documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 or higher installed on your computer.)

Information required in Respect of an Application for Reduction in the Customs Duty on Imported Products

Who to contact