Romania
27 February 2009
The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), is urging exporters who have
been trading with Bulgaria and Romania since the beginning of 2007 to date, to
approach their nearest South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs Branch
Office to check whether they qualify for the preferential rate
reimbursement.
The Chief Director of the Bilateral Trade Relations at the dti, Mr Victor
Mashabela, says this is necessitated by the European Union (EU) enlargement in
2007, from 25 member states to 27 with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria.
According to Mashabela, an additional protocol to the Trade, Development and
Cooperation Agreement (TDCA), signed in October 2007 between South Africa and
the EU, provides a legal basis for an extension of the administration of the
TDCA tariffs preferences with respect to the new member states. This additional
protocol applies to all goods imported from or exported to the Republic of
Bulgaria and Romania, as of 1 January 2007.
âThe effect of this is that qualifying products originating from Bulgaria or
Romania may be imported into South Africa under the EU preferential customs
duty rates upon presentation of a EUR1 certificate of origin or invoice
declaration. Qualifying products originating in South Africa will equally
benefit from preferential customs duties upon presentation of a EUR1
certificate of origin or invoice declaration issued here and presented in
Bulgaria or Romania,â added Victor.
The additional protocol to the TDCA applies retrospectively from 1 January
2007 and all operators that have had to pay normal customs duties from then to
date will be reimbursed the difference between the actual duty paid and the
preferential rate that now applies.
Application for the retrospective issuance of certificates of origin for
qualifying products exported to Bulgaria or Romania as from 1 January 2007 have
to be submitted to the SARS Customs Branch Office where export declarations
were processed.
Applications for refunds of customs duties for qualifying products imported
from Bulgaria or Romania as from 1 January 2007 will be made in the usual
subject to the legal requirements for refunds. In addition, applicants must
include the original retrospective EUR1 certificate of origin or invoice
declaration issued in Bulgaria or Romania in their refund applications.
Applicants will be able to apply for retrospective certificates of origins and
refunds for a period of one year resuming 20 February 2009 and ending 20
February 2010.
The enlargement of the EU from 25 to 27 member states extends SA exportersâ
access to these two new members of the EU. At the same time, SA economic
operators and consumers may benefit from lower priced products on imports from
these countries.
For more information on this exporters can access a copy of the Government
Gazette Regulations that was published by the South Africa Revenue Service
(SARS) on 20 February 2009 from the SARS website at http://www.sars.gov.za.
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
27 February 2009
