South Africa has withdrawn a proposed import verification measure for Chinese goods, citing logistical challenges and international trade concerns, after initiating plans to strengthen product safety and consumer protection.
South Africa has withdrawn a planned import directive that would have required a broad range of unregulated goods from China to carry proof of compliance before entering the country, ending a measure that had raised legal, logistical and diplomatic concerns. According to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the policy was intended to support fair trade, product safety and consumer protection, but it was formally pulled back by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau on 22 September after consultations and questions from industry and the World Trade Organisation.
The now-abandoned scheme had been set to begin this month and would have covered an extensive list of products, including electrical goods, toys, cosmetics, firefighting equipment, cookware, homeware, building materials and various household items. It formed part of South Africa’s Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme, under which specified products would have needed a Certificate of Conformity showing they met South African National Standards before shipment. Industry notices from the South African Bureau of Standards and technical guidance from compliance firms show the plan had been moving towards implementation from late March, with Phase 1 aimed specifically at imports from China.
But customs experts warned that the practical design of the measure was likely to create disruption at the border. Clifford Evans of Berry and Donaldson told Moneyweb that some goods did not have tariff codes precise enough to make targeted enforcement straightforward, while South Africa’s restricted- and prohibited-goods framework does not easily allow customs officials to detain cargo by country of origin alone. He argued that, in practice, the result could have been port delays affecting shipments from multiple countries, not just China.
Donald Mackay, chief executive of XA International Trade Advisors, said the focus on China made the measure vulnerable under WTO rules because trade restrictions are generally expected to apply evenly unless a specific legal exception exists. He also said the withdrawal should reduce costs for retailers and consumers, since mandatory testing and certification would probably have been passed through into prices. Janusz Luterek, a lawyer specialising in intellectual property and consumer protection, told Moneyweb that the episode underlined the tension between consumer safety and commercial certainty, particularly when import orders are placed months ahead and regulatory requirements change quickly.
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