Freight Forwarding & Supply Chain Insights
Your trusted perspective in global logistics
1 min read
AGOA Update and Durban Port Congestion
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the latest trade and port developments that may affect your supply chain planning. 1. United States – AGOA Trade Preference Update On 2 November 2026, the United States announced its intention to terminate South Africa’s eligibility for the African Growth and O
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Tariff Amendment - Provisional Payment for Chapter 48 & 73
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS. The below amendment is effective from 30 October 2026 up to and including 3 May 2027: Amendment to Provisional Payment for Chapter 48: * Amendment of provisional payment in relation to safeguard duties against the alleged increase on imports of office paper, classifiable under tariff subheadings 4802.56.20 and 4802.56.90, in order to include imports from all countries, including developing countries. (ITAC...
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Durban Port Congestion Continues to Disrupt Supply Chains
Dear Valued Client Ongoing congestion at Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT) is having a growing impact on South African businesses, with vessel delays disrupting manufacturing schedules, delaying critical imports/exports and increasing logistics costs. Recent industry reports indicate that, despite some improvement in terminal yard conditions, vessel queues remain under pressure. Shipping lines are adjusting port rotations, splitting discharge and loading operations across separate calls, and...
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AEO Accreditation & Durban Port Update
Dear Valued Client 1. Customs Compliance: AEO Accreditation and Documentation We are seeing an increase in customs stops and documentation checks, particularly among clients who are not yet AEO-accredited. Accurate and complete customs declarations are essential, including the correct disclosure of freight values and freight statements where required for customs purposes. We also encourage clients to ensure SCT is linked as a related party in their RLA eFiling disclosure section. AEO...
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Tariff Amendment - Schedule 1 Part 1 and Provisional Payment Impositions
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS. In relation to Notice with retrospective effect from 28 August 2026: Imposition of Provisional Payment to Chapter 72: * Amendment of provisional payment in relation to anti-dumping duties against the alleged dumping of flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, painted, varnished or coated with plastics, classifiable under tariff subheadings 7210.70.20, 7210.70.30,...
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Global Logistics Lens - October
October presents a mixed picture for South African supply chains. Some structural reforms are moving forward, global freight markets are becoming more balanced on certain trade lanes, and selected shipping services are beginning to return to the Suez Canal. At the same time, reliability remains the
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Tariff Amendment - Schedule 2 Part 1
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS, in relation to notice with retrospective effect from 19 March 2026: Amendment to Schedule 2 Part 1: * By the substitution of various items under item 215.02 in order to list the rebate items intended to be excluded from the applicable anti-dumping duties on certain flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel of a width of 600 mm or more, whether or not in coils (including products cut to...
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Update: PVOC Program Cancelled
Dear Valued Client South Africa’s DTIC has withdrawn the planned Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) requirement for certain unregulated imports from China, with immediate effect. The directive would have required affected goods to be supported by a Certificate of Conformity before shipment. This means the additional PVoC certification requirement will not proceed, and no new applications will be accepted under the withdrawn directive. Existing compulsory specifications and other...
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Update: Durban Port Recovery
Dear Valued Client Durban Gateway Terminal – recovering, not recovered There are signs of improvement at DGT, but the terminal is not yet back to normal. According to the latest BUSA publication, daily volumes increased by 53% week on week to 4,388 TEUs, around 88% of the comparable 2025 level. However, this follows a weather-disrupted week, so the key test will be whether DGT can sustain these volumes. A few key points: * Vessel backlog remains: The anchorage queue eased from 10 vessels to...
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AEO Accreditation and disclosure
Dear Valued Client We have previously published Newsflashes regarding the AEO accreditation process and its value. With the current supply chain constraints and added logistics costs, we must collectively ensure we do whatever we can to reduce further delays and costs. In this respect, AEO accreditation will significantly assist in reducing SARS stops. In addition, we note that some customers have not linked SCT as a related party in RLA e-filing. You may recall the drive to re-register for...
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Space Restriction - MSC Diamond Tier
Dear Valued Client As we continue to navigate this very impactful and damaging season which includes serious booking / space constraints, significant delays in transit, and berthing delays, it is critical that we keep all clients updated relative to options. This communication notifies you of MSC’s Diamond Tier service. Whilst this solution is unpalatable to many for very obvious reasons, it is nevertheless available and so we share the same with you. We have checked with other lines and to...
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Latest Tariff Amendments & Durban Port Update
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS: 1) In relation to notice with effect from 18 September 2026 up to and including 11 June 2027: Amendment to Schedule 2 Part 1: * By the insertion of various items under item 215.02, in order to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, and flat-rolled products of other alloy steel classifiable under Chapter 72, originating in or imported from the Peoples...
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Tariff Amendment - Schedule 2 Part 1 & Durban Port Update
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS which is issued retrospectively from 19 March 2026: Amendment to Schedule 2 Part 1: * By the substitution of various items under item 215.02, in order to list the rebate items intended to be excluded from the applicable anti-dumping duties on I and H sections of iron or non-alloy steel, not further worked than hot rolled, hot drawn, or extruded (excluding H sections of a height greater than 200 mm) and other...
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Airfreight Service Update
Dear Valued Client Please be advised that airfreight schedules remain disrupted following the recent UK air traffic control system failure, with Heathrow (LHR) among the airports most severely affected. Although the technical issue has been resolved, airlines are still working through the resulting backlog, including aircraft and crew repositioning. This is continuing to cause flight delays, cancellations and cargo rollovers, with revised ETAs expected on affected shipments. The disruption...
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Durban Port, Shipping Capacity, Fuel Neutrality Fee & Upcoming China Holidays
Dear Valued Client Transnet Fuel Neutrality Charge: Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) have advised that the Fuel Neutrality charge will increase to R78 per container from 1 October 2026. The charge applies to all containers, including imports, exports and transshipments across Container Terminals and Multi-Purpose Terminals. There is no differentiation by container size or type. The R78 charge will be raised as a separate line item in addition to the existing THC and will be reassessed monthly....
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Tariff Amendment - Schedule 2 Part 1
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS which is effective from 7 September 2026: Amendment to Schedule 2 Part 1: By the insertion of various items under item 217.02, in order to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of front windscreens (windshields), classifiable under tariff subheading 8708.22.10, originating in or imported from the People’s Republic of China. (ITAC Report 777) Notice Should you have any queries, please feel free to reach out...
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Tariff Amendment - Schedule 2 - Safeguard and Anti Dumping Duties.
Dear Valued Client Please take note of the below tariff amendment published by SARS related to safeguard measures under Chapter 72 and anti dumping duties for vehicle windscreens. In relation to notice GG 52576 R.6165 with effect from 2 May 2026 up to and including 1 May 2027: Amendment to Schedule 2 Part 3: By the substitution of various items under item 260.03, in order to include imports originating in or imported from South Korea to be subject to the payment of the safeguard duty of a...
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Durban Port Update – Recovery Continues, but Congestion Costs Emerge
Dear Valued Client There are signs of improvement at Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT), with the NAVIS N4 system now stable and yard occupancy reducing significantly. However, the vessel backlog remains substantial and the terminal is still working through accumulated cargo volumes. Import evacuation and landside operations are improving, but ETA changes, vessel delays and limited port bookings for container movements remain a concern. We therefore recommend that importers and exporters continue...
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Fuel Surcharge Amendment
Dear Valued Client Due to the recent adjustment in diesel price, the fuel surcharge will increase by 3.5% for the month of September 2026. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.
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Global Logistics Lens - September
Global supply chains entered August with cautious optimism, but quickly shifted back into volatility. Red Sea security risks, severe weather across Asia, rising freight rates and growing port congestion once again placed pressure on already stretched trade routes. For South African businesses, the d