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CHINESE IMPORTS: PRE-EXPORT VERIFICATION PROGRAMME EXPLAINED
- 07 April 2026
- Trade, Industry & Competition
- SA Legal Academy
The Department of Trade, Industry & Competition has clarified the implications of a 20 March 2026 ministerial directive affecting imported goods from the People’s Republic of China. The directive was gazetted without the annexure to which it referred – prompting SA Legal Academy Policy Watch to approach the department for more information, which has now been provided.
Announcing the imminent implementation of a ‘pre-export verification of conformity programme for certain unregulated products’ originating in that country, the directive is scheduled to come into force on 20 September 2026 – allowing affected importers six months to make the necessary arrangements. The directive:
- will then apply only to products listed in Annexure A that are not already subject to National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications or sector-specific regulatory requirements, and
- is thus expected to enhance consumer protection, safety, and quality assurance in keeping with ‘legitimate public policy objectives’.
Published by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) on a dedicated website page with supporting documents, Annexure A will be updated periodically.
Among other things, the supporting documents note that:
- the programme is being piloted in liaison with the People’s Republic of China as ‘one of South Africa's largest sources of imported consumer goods’, and that
- during the six-month transitional period, the SABS will host various awareness-raising activities including webinars and workshops.
Please click the links below for more details:
- ministerial directive
- Annexure A
- website page
- background information and context
- FAQs
Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch
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