SARS

30 April 2025 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS), in collaboration with the Revenue Service Lesotho (RSL), will be conducting Time Release Studies (TRS) at selected border posts during May and June 2025. These studies form part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the efficiency of cross-border trade and facilitating legitimate movement of goods and persons.

The TRS sessions are planned to take place as follows:

Maseru Bridge

Ficksburg Border Post

30 April 2025 – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R24.8 billion in March 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R172.5 billion and imports of R147.7 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).

30 April 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: The tariffs amendments notices, scheduled for publication in the Government Gazette, relate to the following amendments:

Up to and including 1 May 2026

Part 3 of Schedule No. 2, by the insertion of various items under item 260.03, in order to implement safeguard measures on the importation of hot-rolled steel products classifiable under Chapter 72 at a rate of 13% (ITAC Report No. 740)

With effect from 2 May 2026 up to and including 1 May 2027

Part 3 of Schedule No. 2, by the substitution of various items under item 260.03, in order to reduce the rate of safeguard measures on the importation of hot-rolled steel products classifiable under Chapter 72 from 13% to 11% (ITAC Report No. 740)

With effect from 2 May 2027 up to and including 1 May 2028

Part 3 of Schedule No. 2, by the substitution of various items under item 260.03, in order to reduce the rate of safeguard measures on the importation of hot-rolled steel products classifiable under Chapter 72 from 11% to 9% (ITAC Report No. 740)

Publication details will be made available later

Table 1 – Interest rates on outstanding taxes and interest rates payable on certain refunds of tax
Table 2 – Interest rates payable on credit amounts

2 May 2025 – Customs and Excise Act, 1964: Publication details for tariffs amendments notice R6164, R6165, and R6166, as published in Government Gazette 52576 of 2 May 2025, are now available.

5 May 2025 – The state provides state warehouses for the safekeeping of goods. These are managed by Customs. The purpose of this list of unentered goods is to notify the importer, exporter and any other person that has interest in the goods that the goods have been taken up into the State warehouse and if they remain unentered they will be disposed in accordance with the provisions of the Customs & Excise Act. See the latest Customs Weekly List of Unentered Goods here.

NATIONAL TREASURY

SAFLII

Author	Legal and Policy
Date	8 May 2025

Legal and Policy - 8 May 2025