South Africa: timetable for duties on Chinese steel confirmed in the Government Gazette
SARS notices R.7937 to R.7941, published in Government Gazette 55424 of 18 September 2026, confirm the entry into force of anti-dumping duties on Chinese flat steel under a progressive schedule rising from 5.5% until June 2027 to 57.84% from June 2029, on top of a safeguard duty already active since June 2026.
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On 18 September 2026, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) published notices R.7937 to R.7941 in Government Gazette 55424, giving a precise legal basis to ITAC's final determination of the same day on hot- or cold-rolled flat steel originating in China (chapter 72 of the customs tariff). This publication resolves an uncertainty flagged in early October: the exact entry-into-force date had not yet been confirmed at that time.
The schedule adopted is progressive over several years: 5.5% until 11 June 2027, then 20.5% from 12 June 2027 to 11 June 2028, 35.5% from 12 June 2028 to 11 June 2029, and 57.84% from 12 June 2029. A specific rate of 8.21% applies solely to producer Shandong Guanxian Foryune Composite Materials Co. Ltd.
This anti-dumping duty is added to a safeguard duty on flat steel already in force since June 2026, set at 52.34%. For steel of Chinese origin, the two measures combine, bringing the total to 57.84% for the first three years, before the anti-dumping duty alone takes over at its ceiling rate from 2029.
This affects South African importers, distributors and processors of hot- or cold-rolled flat steel originating in China, used notably in construction, appliances and vehicle bodywork.
What it changes for an importer
For an importer buying this steel in China, the combination of the two measures brings the total charge to 57.84% right now, and for the next three years, whatever the published timetable for the anti-dumping duty alone might suggest. The import must be budgeted on this basis from today, not on the 5.5% entry rate, which does not apply while the safeguard remains active. Sorva can help check the exact tariff code for the product, document its real manufacturing origin, and assess finished-product alternatives that would fall outside the combined scope of the two measures.
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