Duty Reduction

Our established track record with duty removal applications has assisted many importers to eliminate import duty costs on raw materials and components.

Duty reductions or removals are typically successful if there is no local manufacturer of the product concerned.  If there is a local manufacturer who does not manufacture the full product range or if the product is produced in insufficient quantities, a temporary or industrial rebate provision is created.

— Duty removal process

The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC), receives and investigates duty increase applications. Specific regulations prescribe the manner in which ITAC conducts investigations.

— Application and verification

A well prepared, motivated, and a complete application is the most important part of the process. The key information included in the application is financial, labour, and market information. ITAC conducts a verification exercise to check the accuracy of the information provided in the application against the company records.

— Comments and oral hearings

Thereafter, ITAC will send out a non-confidential version of the application to interested parties soliciting preliminary comments. When this phase is complete, a decision to initiate an investigation is taken. The details of the investigation are published in the Government Gazette. Interested parties can submit comments regarding the requested duty removal. After that, all interested parties have an opportunity to apply for an oral hearing to present arguments verbally.

— Final decision

ITAC makes a recommendation to the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC) after considering all facts and information at its disposal. The duty removal process takes 6 – 12 months.

With significant expertise in this area, let our expert consultants help you with a duty removal application and guide you throughout the process.