Explore our comprehensive customs clearance South Africa guide to assist you in understanding the documents and processes required for customs clearing and forwarding in South Africa & beyond. Click to jump to the sections below:
Customs Clearance Meaning:
Before we explore the customs clearance process below, let’s unpack the customs clearance meaning. Customs Clearance is the process that cargo undergoes before arriving in a country. This process includes inspections, duties to be paid, and more before the cargo is clear to move along the supply chain.
The Customs Clearing Process South Africa: What Documents Are Needed to Clear Cargo At Customs?
You need the following four documents to clear import cargo from customs in South Africa. These 4 documents in the customs clearance process South Africa include:
When we speak about customs clearance, we refer to the required procedures before goods can be moved internationally. These documents are used for customs clearing the shipment through SARS. The same customs clearance documents are usually required for different modes of transport. All of the 4 documents mentioned above are required by SARS to customs clear cargo. Should SARS query a shipment, they might even request Literature from the supplier of the product/cargo.
Clearing instructions are documents that set out all of the required activities and information that are needed to successfully customs clear cargo. It also indicates that the clearing agent has permission to clear the cargo.
Importers and exporters must provide a mandatory, fully completed, dated and signed Clearing Instruction to the custom clearance agent.
2. Transport Document
A commercial invoice is a legal document proving a sale transaction between you, the client, and your supplier.
This document is used by customs officials to calculate import duties and taxes. It outlines important information like:
You can get the commercial invoice from your supplier.
Please note:
Clients must e-mail these documents to OneLogix Cargo Solutions staff before the vessel’s estimated time of arrival.
With regards to the packing list and commercial invoice, there are additional documents required for different types of commodities and their country of origin.
For example, there are additional documents you may require when clearing commodities such as:
Country of origin is another factor when including additional documents. For example:
EUR1 Movement Certificates
An EUR1 certificate is a type of movement certificate. It is the result of trade agreements between the European Union and other specific countries.
The countries that make up the European Union include:
EUR1 Movement Certificates
An EUR1 certificate is a type of movement certificate. It is the result of trade agreements between the European Union and other specific countries.
The countries that make up the European Union include:
1. South African Customs Union (SACU)
Members of this trade agreement get duty-free imports for all products. These member countries include:
2. Southern African Development Community (SADC)
These free trade agreements (FTAs) allow most goods and selected services from the 16 member states to have reduced import duties and cross-border service delivery regulations.
These SADC member countries include:
3. SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
This economic partnership agreement (EPA) applies to countries in the European Union and the SADC member states. It’s aimed to encourage sustainable development & reduce poverty for African, Caribbean & Pacific (ACP) partners. As such, each EPA is customised to enhance each partner’s regional circumstances.
4. EFTA-SACU Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
This free trade agreement (FTA) is between the 5 SACU member countries listed in point #2 and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.
The EFTA countries are:
5. SACUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
Members of this partnership agreement are between the SACU countries (plus Mozambique) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This was established when the UK left the European Union.
Importing From China to South Africa
The South African government has established an import duties system with China that protects local industries & regulates international trade. The import duties that are paid by South Africans importing from China are categorised into:
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