WORLD TRADE G/LIC/N/3/ZAF/1
23May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2164)
Original: English Committee onImport Licensing
REPLIES TOQUESTIONNAIRE ONIMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
Notification under Article 7.3oftheAgreement on
Import Licensing Procedures
SOUTH AFRICA
Thefollowing communication, dated 13May1997, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Mission ofSouth Africa.
_______________
Outline ofsystem
1. South Africa hasonelicensing system. Thissystem makes provision forthegranting ofpermits
tomeetreasonable requirements ofmerchants andmanufacturers.
Licences areissued uponwritten application byproposed importers. TheDepartment ofTrade
andIndustry, Sub-Directorate: Import andExport Control istheissuing authority.
Purposes andcoverage oflicensing
2. Goods stillsubject toimport control andforwhich licences aregranted arelisted inGovernment
Gazette No.11630 dated 23December 1988 (asamended). (SeeAnnex).
3. Licences arevalid fortheimportation ofgoods from anycountry, thechoice ofthecountry
ofsupply being leftentirely totheimporting party.
4. Licensing isnotapplied forthepurpose ofprotecting domestic producers.
5. Import control isapplied pursuant topowers conferred ontheMinister ofTrade andIndustry
bySection 2(i)oftheImport andExport Control Act,1963 (Act45of1963). Thelicensing isnot
statutorily required, i.e.thelegislation ispermissive, notmandatory. Thelegislation leaves the
designation ofproducts tobesubjected tolicensing toadministrative discretion. Itispossible forthe
Government toabolish thesystem without legislative approval.
Procedures
6.I. Thelicensing regulations arepublished intheGovernment Gazette andincertain instances
supplemented withpolicy documents.
II. Notapplicable inSouth Africa.G/LIC/N/3/ZAF/1
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III. Import licences areavailable toallmerchants andmanufacturers. Nostepsaretaken toensure
theutilization ofimport permits. Quotas donotapply inSouth Africa. Particulars ofimport
licences granted arenotpublicized asinformation ofthisnature canonlybedisclosed with
theconsent ofthepermit holder.
IV. Notapplicable.
V. Thelength andtimeforprocessing applications isdependent onthenature andextent ofthe
application. Ingeneral applications aredealtwithimmediately upon receipt.
VI. Licences arevalidforthecalendar yearindicated thereon andmaybeusedforcustoms clearance
ofgoods shipped prior to31December ofthatyear.
VII. Applications forimport licences areconsidered bytheDepartment ofTrade andIndustry,
Sub-Directorate: Import andExport Control. Inthecaseofalimited range ofgoods,
applications arealsoconsidered bytheDepartments ofAgriculture, Health andEnvironment
Affairs. Incertain instances, theobligation isontheprospective importer toapproach these
bodies.
VIII. With theexception oflicensing inrespect ofusedgoods orgoods controlled interms ofthe
Montreal Protocol, forhealth orenvironmental reasons, licences areissued without applying
quantitative restrictions.
IX. Thequestion isnotrelevant toSouth African practice.
X. Imports arenotallowed onthebasis ofexport performance only.
XI. Yes.
7.(a) Applications must bemade before goods areshipped.
(b) Yes.
(c) No.
(d) Seeparagraph 6.VII.
8. Noapplication forimport licensing meeting thecriteria isrefused.
Eligibility ofimporters toapply foralicence
9. Allpersons, firms andinstitutions whocomply withtherequirements areeligible toapply for
licences.
Documentational andother requirements forapplication foralicence
10. Anewimporter isrequired tocomplete animporter 'sregistration form. Otherwise, noforms
areprescribed. Thefollowing information isrequired:
- Importer 'sreference number;
- name andbusiness address ofapplicant;
- quantity anddescription ofgoods tobeimported aswellasthecustom tariff heading; andG/LIC/N/3/ZAF/1
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- value ofgoods tobeimported.
11. Normal customs documents and,where applicable, andimport permit isrequired uponactual
importation.
12. There arenodeposits oradvance payments associated withtheissue oflicences.
13. There arenolicensing oradministrative charges.
Conditions oflicensing
14. Alicence isvalidforthecalendar yearduring which itisissued, butmaybeusedforcustoms
clearance ofgoods shipped before 31December ofthatyear. Thevalidity ofthelicence cannot be
extended.
15. There isnopenalty fornon-use ofalicence orportion ofalicence.
16. Licences arenottransferable between importers.
17. Noother conditions areattached totheissue ofalicence.
Other procedural requirements
18. There arenoother administrative procedures required prior totheimportation.
19. Foreign exchange isautomatically provided bythebanking authority provided thatanimport
licence isproduced orevidence isfurnished thatanimport licence isnotnecessary. Foreign exchange
isalways available tocover licences.G/LIC/N/3/ZAF/1
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ANNEX
Import andexport control: Goods subject toimport control measures
Description Tariff heading Purpose ofcontrol
Allusedgoods, waste and
scrapVarious Health, environmental reasons andin
terms oftheBasel Convention
Fish, fresh orfrozen,
crustaceans andmolluscs03.01 to03.07 Health reasons, noquantitative
restrictions
Dairy products 04.01 to04.06 Automatic licensing
Oatsandmaize 10.04; 10.05 Automatic licensing
Wine, vermouth,
fermented beverages, ethyl
alcohol vinegar and
substitutes22.04; 22.05; 22.06;
ex22.07; ex22.08;
22.09Automatic licensing
Mineral fuels, mineral oils
andproducts oftheir
distillation27.07; 27.08; 27.09;
27.10; 27.11; 27,12;
27.13; 27.14; 27.15Strategic reasons
Radioactive chemical
elements andradioactive
isotopes28.44; 28.45 Health andenvironmental reasons
Vulcanized rubber thread
andcord, plates andstrip40.07; 40.08 Automatic licensing
Newpneumatic tyres 40.11 Monitoring forquality specification
Gold andcoins 71.08 Monetary policy
Cobalt, cadmium
antimony, manganese
diromium, geranium,
vanadium, gallium,
hafnium, indium, rhenium
andthallium81.05; 81.07; 81.10;
81.12Health andenvironmental reasons
Revolvers andpistols,
other firearms, parts,
ammunition andparts93.03; 93.04; 93.05;
93.06Security reasons
Gambling machines ex9504.30 Quality specifications andpublic
interest
Ozone-depleting
substancesex2903.19.10;
2903.30.10;
2903.45.90;
ex2903.49.10;
2903.41; 2903.42;
2903.43; 2903.44;
2903.45.05; 2903.46;
3824.71.10;
3824.71.90Montreal Protocol