SARS imposes provisional anti-dumping duties on tyres from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia

THE South African Revenue Service (SARS) has implemented provisional anti-dumping duties on new pneumatic tyres imported from Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia as of 29 May 2025.

- ASHLEY LECHMAN

This action comes after an anti-circumvention investigation initiated by the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC), responding to concerns that Chinese tyre manufacturers were evading existing tariffs by distributing products through affiliates in Southeast Asia, a practice often referred to as “country hopping.”

The newly imposed dumping duty stands at 41.47% on all exporters not specifically named in the Government Gazette, effective for a six-month period from late May to late November 2025.

This measure targets various tyre types categorised under specific tariff subheadings including motor car tyres and bus and lorry tyres.

This situation stems from a prior investigation launched by ITAC in 2022, prompted by an application from the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC).

The findings of that inquiry revealed that dumping practices were inflicting material harm on local tyre manufacturers, leading to the imposition of anti-dumping duties as high as 41% on non-cooperating Chinese exporters.

Those producers that complied with the investigation were granted reduced duties ranging from 7% to 15%.