New pre-import regulations for Chinese goods spark industry concerns
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has issued a Ministerial directive establishing a Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVOC) Programme for unregulated products imported from the People’s Republic of China.
Designed to address the problem of the large volume of unregulated Chinese imports, the directive has nevertheless sparked concern among freight stakeholders who believe in its current form it amounts to a logistical nightmare – which would be almost impossible to implement.
It is also unclear how the directive would impact on e-Commerce, which makes up an increasing share of incoming Chinese goods.
Under the Standards Act of 2008, these goods must now be accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) verifying compliance with South African National Standards (SANS) prior to shipment. Managed by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the program aims to bolster consumer safety and quality assurance. The directive is set for full implementation on September 20, 2026, following a six-month transitional period.
The matter surfaced at last month’s Cape Town Port Liaison Forum, where stakeholder concerns focused on the practical execution of the dtic mandate. Industry stakeholders highlighted the potential "nightmare" of overlapping jurisdictions, noting that the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) already enforces standards for regulated goods.
Critics argue that having two agencies—SABS and NRCS—operating in tandem for different categories of the same product lines constitutes over-regulation. There is particular scepticism regarding how Chinese manufacturers will be compelled to provide pre-verification for such a broad array of commodities not previously subject to these specific controls.
Further criticism centres on the directive's perceived vagueness regarding enforcement and product classification. While the Gazette lists general categories such as "plastic toys" and "small toy accessories," specialists note that many of these descriptions lack specific Harmonised System (HS) codes, making them nearly impossible to police at a customs level.
Without precise tariff classifications, stakeholders warn of potential confusion at ports of entry, questioning how the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Border Management Authority (BMA) will identify non-compliant consignments or if additional enforcement capacity will be required to prevent significant supply chain bottlenecks.
“We understand that a host of product that come in from China are not regulated by NRCS, and that they do need to be regulated in some way to make sure they conform to standards, but I just don’t understand how this directive is going to enable them to do it,” said one well-placed source.
Cape Chamber chief executive John Lawson this week also raised concerns about potential negative economic impacts, specifically on trade with China. Companies that spent years developing supply lines would now be faced with potential headwinds, Lawson said. “This begs the question of whether the Department has done the necessary regulatory impact assessment,” he said.
DTIC this week said the SABS is responsible for the implementation of the PVOC programme. “They work very close with CCIC Co Ltd from China.
CCIC in China will issues CoC working close with the SABS. As from the 20 September 2026, no shipment or through air, products will be allowed to board if they don’t have a CoC issued by the CCIC. This will also help in addressing substandard products,” the Department said in response to Cape Chamber queries.
“Kindly note, the SABS compiled and finalised that list working with the dtic and the NRCS. It was provided to the NRCS to make inputs prior to the meeting involving the dtic, SABS and the NRCS to finalised the list. Inputs of the NRCS were wholly incorporated as is.”
However, another industry stakeholder this week said the dtic move “smacks of over-regulation". “It’s a nightmare. How is one supposed to get the Chinese to pre-verify, with a certificate of conformity, products from the attached list?”