Anti-dumping duties not a cure-all for consumers

SA's imported top-loading washing machines are about to get pricier, and while Defy hopes it's good news, buyers are unlikely to agree.

- By Lindsey Schutters

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has endorsed the defence of the fully automatic top-loading washing machine.

What began as a complaint lodged by Defy Appliances has now become a formal anti-dumping investigation and, soon, the likely imposition of provisional duties on imports from China and Thailand.

It looks like a straightforward response to cheap foreign goods flooding the market, hammering local manufacturers and threatening jobs. But, simultaneously, it's a complex web of strategic policy, protectionism, precedent and unintended consequences in the washing cycle.

The saga officially began in October 2024 when Defy asked the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) to investigate imports of top-loading washing machines (10kg to 17kg capacity) from China and Thailand.

Defy alleged dumping margins of 21.48% for the Chinese products and a massive 67.11% for the Thai machines. These figures were based on South African Revenue Service import data and overseas retail prices.

It claimed these imports were undercutting local prices, slashing profits and forcing an inventory buildup — unsold stock piling up in warehouses. In Defy’s view, unless something was done, the damage would get worse as global overcapacity would mean companies going in search of cheap destinations such as South Africa.

Itac seems to agree, at least enough to say a prima facie case exists. Provisional duties are expected by the end of 2025.

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