According to BusinessTech, the government has withdrawn a March directive that would have introduced a pre-export verification of conformity programme for certain unregulated Chinese imports. The programme, announced by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, was slated to start in October but was pulled back after pushback from China, South Africa’s largest trading partner.
The pre-export verification of conformity programme, in plain terms, checks to ensure imported products meet South African quality and safety standards before they leave the exporting country, would have covered items such as aluminium cookware, hair relaxers, sanitary towels and office chairs.
Donald MacKay, chief executive officer of XA Global Trade Advisors, said the abandonment of the checks is a symptom of a weak local manufacturing base that has deteriorated over the past 15 years. His comments are his own analysis and have not been independently verified.
MacKay linked the decline to poor service delivery, mismanaged ports and high crime rates, which he says discourage companies from investing in domestic production. He noted that any standards applied to imports would have to be applied equally to all trading partners and to South African producers, citing the existing compulsory standards on cement as an example.
The adviser also highlighted South Africa’s trade imbalance with China. He estimated that roughly 70% to 75% of South African exports to China are raw minerals, while the country imports higher-value manufactured goods. This pattern, he argues, reflects a manufacturing sector that has largely collapsed, leaving the economy dependent on exporting raw materials and importing finished products.
For small and medium-size enterprises, the decision means continued exposure to cheap imported goods without the protective barrier the proposed checks would have created. MacKay warned that without addressing the structural issues, unreliable electricity supply from Eskom, dysfunctional ports and security concerns, any import-control measure would have limited impact on the underlying trade deficit.
Should the government decide to introduce compulsory standards in the future, it would need to do so in a way that treats foreign and domestic producers alike, ensuring a level playing field. Until the fundamental challenges facing South Africa’s manufacturing sector are resolved, the country is likely to remain a net importer of finished goods.
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The original design of the verification scheme required Chinese factories to submit product samples to accredited South African laboratories before shipment, meaning compliance checks would have been performed on the production floor rather than at the border. Goods that failed to meet the prescribed safety and quality benchmarks would have been barred from leaving China, effectively stopping non-conforming items at source. This approach mirrors the existing compulsory standard for cement, where every exporter must demonstrate compliance before the product is allowed entry, and South African cement producers are subject to the same criteria.
MacKay stressed that any future standards would need to be applied uniformly across all trading partners, not just China. He argued that a level playing field would require the same pre-export verification for products from, for example, India or the European Union if South Africa chose to extend the regime. The principle is that a standard, once adopted, becomes a legal requirement for any exporter of the specified goods, and domestic manufacturers would also have to certify their output against the same benchmark.
In the wake of the programme’s withdrawal, calls for tariffs or import restrictions have intensified, reflecting frustration over the perceived weakness of the local manufacturing base. The sentiment is that without protective measures, cheap imports continue to flood the market, further eroding the already fragile domestic production capacity that has declined over the past 15 years. This pressure stems from the same structural challenges highlighted by MacKay, such as unreliable electricity and port inefficiencies.
The procedural steps for reinstating a compulsory standard would begin with a ministerial notice, followed by a public consultation period where industry participants could submit comments. After the consultation, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition would draft the technical specifications, which would then be published in the Gazette. Only once the standard is formally gazetted could enforcement begin, with customs officials empowered to detain non-compliant shipments at the point of entry.
Should the government move forward with a revised scheme, exporters would need to obtain a certificate of conformity from an accredited testing body before loading cargo. The certificate would be cross-checked against a central database accessible to customs, ensuring that only products bearing a valid conformity mark are cleared. Any deviation discovered during post-arrival inspections could trigger penalties, but the primary barrier would remain the pre-export certification, aligning South Africa’s import control with its existing framework for products like cement.
