South Africa’s revenue and customs authority has completed the legal and operational arrangements required to implement China’s temporary zero-tariff trade programme, allowing exporters to begin accessing duty-free treatment for eligible goods from June 1.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced that it will start issuing Rules of Origin certificates on Monday, a key requirement for exporters seeking preferential access to the Chinese market under Beijing’s unilateral tariff-relief initiative for African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with China.
The move is expected to provide South African exporters with improved access to one of the world’s largest consumer markets by eliminating import duties on qualifying products.
In a statement issued on Sunday, SARS Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu said the agency had put in place the necessary systems to ensure exporters could benefit from the programme without delay.
“From 1 June, SARS is issuing origin certificates retrospectively to cater for qualifying goods that were shipped or cleared after 1 May 2026, so they can still benefit fully from the zero tariffs,” Makhubu said.
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The retrospective arrangement is designed to ensure exporters do not lose out on the tariff preference while administrative procedures are being finalised.
China announced the zero-tariff initiative in February as part of broader efforts to strengthen trade and economic ties with African countries and promote imports from the continent.
The programme grants duty-free access to qualifying goods exported from eligible African nations, although products must comply with specific rules of origin requirements to benefit from the tariff exemption.
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To facilitate implementation, SARS said it had adopted a simplified and printable certificate format aimed at reducing administrative burdens and accelerating compliance procedures.
Makhubu said the streamlined documentation would enable exporters to demonstrate the origin of their products more efficiently and claim tariff preferences immediately upon entry into the Chinese market.
As part of transitional arrangements, exporters whose certificates are not yet available may lodge security with Chinese customs authorities. The security will be refunded once a valid SARS-issued certificate is submitted, ensuring that trade flows are not disrupted during the initial implementation phase.
SARS stressed, however, that eligibility for the scheme is not automatic.
The authority cautioned that only products meeting China’s rules of origin requirements and accompanied by the correct supporting documentation would qualify for duty-free treatment.
Rules of origin are used in international trade agreements to determine the economic nationality of goods and ensure that tariff benefits are granted only to products genuinely produced or substantially transformed within participating countries.
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SARS urged exporters to work closely with their Chinese buyers and logistics partners to confirm whether their products qualify under the scheme before shipment.
The agency also advised companies to maintain comprehensive records proving the origin of their goods and to follow all prescribed certification procedures to avoid delays, penalties or the loss of tariff preferences.
The implementation of the programme comes at a time when South Africa is seeking to expand export markets and deepen trade relations with major global economies.
China remains South Africa’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade covering a wide range of products, including minerals, agricultural commodities, manufactured goods and industrial inputs.
Trade analysts say the elimination of tariffs on qualifying exports could improve the competitiveness of South African products in China, potentially creating new opportunities for exporters in sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing and mining.
The launch of the certification process marks a significant step in operationalising China’s tariff-relief initiative and is expected to strengthen commercial links between South Africa and China while supporting broader efforts to increase African exports to global markets.
