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PULP & PAPER SECTOR: INPUT SOUGHT FOR ITAC REVIEW
- 17 September 2026
- Trade, Industry & Competition
- SA Legal Academy
Please note: 1) On 18 September 2026, the notice was re-published in composite end-of-week National Government Gazette 55409 under a different notice number (4154). 2) The 17 September 2026 notice (4156) was published under Government Gazette 55421 with a cover note erroneously referring to the document as ‘review of tariff structure surveillance system for steel’. SA Legal Academy Policy Watch removed that cover note for the sake of clarity. In the context of this somewhat puzzling scenario, the deadline for public input may well have been extended by 24 hours. 3) On 23 September 2025, ITAC withdrew notice 4156. As far as can be ascertained, there has been no change in the commentary deadline.
The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) has gazetted a notice announcing a sector-wide paper and paper products review with the aim of recommending ‘appropriate trade policy instruments’ for strengthening ‘resilience’ and ensuring ‘sustainability’. With that in mind, stakeholders are invited to submit comments by 15 October 2026 using the questionnaire provided at the end of this report.
According to the notice, the sector in general is under ‘tremendous strain’, with the following segments being hardest hit:
- uncoated paper
- newsprint
- packaging, and
- tissue.
‘Growing challenges’ include:
- ‘rising import penetration’
- the ‘declining demand for print paper’
- the ‘slowdown in the domestic economy’, and
- ‘increasing input costs’ (‘particularly electricity and transportation expenses’).
‘If these challenges are not effectively addressed, the economy risks losing significant industrial investments, employment opportunities, and the economic sustainability of many rural communities … depend(ant) on the sector’.
Among other things, the investigation may also consider the impact of:
- US trade policy
- the Middle East conflict
- global market conditions, and
- exchange rate fluctuations.
Please click the links below for more information:
- notice (4156)
- questionnaire
Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch
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