Fresh from taking steps to rein in inferior products from China that place the safety and health of consumers in jeopardy, authorities are looking to increase the pool of countries that must tighten their quality checks before exporting goods to South Africa.
Trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau is moving at pace to clamp down on unregulated products flooding the local market — in the biggest trade pushback in a generation — to shield consumers and domestic producers from substandard imports.
Having started with South Africa’s largest trading partner, China, his department (DTIC) and its entities are moving to expand the number of countries that will be subjected to the pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) prommamme.
The scheme verifies the quality and safety regulations of exported and imported products, protecting consumers and mitigating trade risks. Its implementation is a landmark development in South Africa’s trade and regulatory landscape.
The PVoC with China is set to come into force in September, covering products as varied as lipsticks, skin-lightening creams, hair dyes, sanitary towels, napkins, office chairs, liquefied petroleum gas hoses and regulators, plastic toys, fuel generators, gas heaters and fire extinguishers, among others.
One example of the motivation behind the quality steps is facial and bodily injury caused by skin-lightening products, which have proved to be popular in South Africa.
Skin-lightening creams and other beauty products will now have to be tested in laboratories, since the PVoC with China demands that imports of unregulated products pass South African standards before being shipped
A doctoral study from the University of Cape Town (UCT) by Meagan Jacobs-Alfred has shed light on the motivations, risks and social pressures behind their use.
“Many consumers assume products are safe if they are widely available in stores or labelled as cosmetics, even though some contain banned or harmful ingredients,” Jacobs-Alfred said.
South Africa has strict regulations governing skin-lightening products, including bans on mercury and hydroquinone and restrictions on advertising. However, covert marketing and illegal markets continue to exist by using indirect language to avoid explicit claims.
“I was consistently struck by the secrecy and concealment surrounding these products and information about them. The illegal nature of the overall skin-lightening trade means that service providers are fearful of being exposed to authorities.”
Skin-lightening creams and other beauty products will now have to be tested in laboratories, since the PVoC with China demands that imports of unregulated products pass South African standards before being shipped.
In a similar vein, toys exported will have to pass mechanical, flammability, and chemical migration testing. Generators and heating appliances will need to undergo fire and explosion tests.
For the success of the PVoC programme with China and the unnamed countries set to be included in the new regime, many government entities will need to work in unison, including the revenue service, customs authorities, the Border Management Authority (BMA), and the South African Bureau of Standards.
South Africa is experiencing a surge in unsafe imported goods, counterfeit products and unfair competition against compliant local manufacturers. The DTIC’s moves have the ultimate aim of protecting consumers from hazardous products and supporting fair trade practices by levelling the playing field.
The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), established to ensure that businesses produce, import and sell products or services that are not harmful to consumers and the environment, is also ramping up its efforts to “lock out” noncompliant products and encourage local manufacturing.
The DTIC under Tau has increasingly taken a ‘South Africa first’ approach in how Africa’s largest economy trades with the rest of the world
“The illicit/noncompliant products on average range between 10% and 15% of the fast-moving consumer goods market in South Africa. This signifies market failure and is linked to the reason for the existence of the NCRS,” the entity said in its annual performance plan tabled before parliament.
“The NCRS estimates that R382bn worth of illicit/noncompliant products are traded annually within the NCRS regulatory space.”
The DTIC under Tau has increasingly taken a “South Africa first” approach in how Africa’s largest economy trades with the rest of the world.
Tau has proposed amendments to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) Act of 2002 amid a fast-evolving international trade regime with widespread trade protectionism and unilateralism.
He is seeking to “refine, update and strengthen the legislative framework governing the investigative, administrative and enforcement functions of Itac”.
The amendments on the table draw from developments in international trade practice and the need to enhance the effective administration of the act, among other considerations, which include the operational experiences of Itac over the years.
The proposed amendments are anchored on four themes:
- international trade-related measures;
- improvements to Itac’s investigative framework;
- enhancing the commission’s enforcement; and
- administrative enhancements.
New provisions will enable the commission, upon direction of the minister, to investigate imports that may adversely affect national security, trade or economic interests.
Business Times
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