Customs Duty Tariffs

We offer the following services:

Customs Tariffs are the tariff codes nominated by the Customs Department to each and every different movable product imported or exported. South African Customs have adopted what is known as the Harmonized System which is a uniform system also utilized by all international trading nations.

The Customs Tariff Classification of a product is applied in terms of legal principles of tariff interpretation and determines the rate of duty applicable, when imported into South Africa (Including Botswana).

Due to advanced technology and the increasing number of new and sophisticated products being traded internationally, the classification of products under their correct tariff headings have also become more complex.

We assist you to:

•Obtain written tariff determinations.

•Confirm the tariffs currently used by your organisation are indeed correct.

•Recover over payments of customs duties.

•Importers and Exporters generally do not have the required technical knowledge of the customs tariff to classify their goods correctly,

Resulting in either overpayment of duties or underpayments of duties.

An incorrect tariff classification of a product may have serious financial implications for the manufacturer, importer or exporter.

Penalties for underpayment of duties may be applied as follows:

•Customs can collect all underpayments on any incorrectly classified goods for up to a period of two years on previous shipments.

•Impose a fine which may amount to as much as three times the value of the goods for all incorrectly classified goods up to a period two years on previous shipments.

•Seize the goods and demand forfeiture

•Impose a prison sentence.

•Or a combination of all of the above,

An incorrect tariff classification of a product may have serious financial implications for the manufacturer, importer or exporter.

Overpayments of duties will result in financial loss to the importer and loss of market due to overpricing of his product.

These unpleasant situations can be avoided and Customs Services offers its expertise to obtain correct written tariff determinations from The Department of Customs. Our fees for this service are negotiable.

We also offer our expertise to confirm if the tariff codes currently being used by an importer are correct.

Where it is proven that an importer has overpaid their customs duties we provide a Duty Recovery Service whereby we will recover such overpayments from Customs.