What SARS has announced

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) published trader guidance on 4 September 2026 for the China Zero-Tariff Trade Scheme. It says the new Additional Information Code is CHN and that traders must declare CHN in the Additional Information field. The Additional Information Value field is mandatory and must be completed by the trader.

SARS also says service providers may need time to implement the system change. During a grace period of 30 business days from the publication date, entries supported by manual endorsements, including stamped certificates, will continue to be accepted. This is a declaration and evidence workflow, not a blanket zero-duty promise for every Chinese product; the product, tariff line and origin conditions still need to be checked.

Resolve the date inconsistency before filing

The same SARS notice refers to an effective date of 1 May 2026 and then instructs traders to record the implementation date as 1 May 2025 so that certificate information can be captured. Because those dates are not the same, do not silently choose one in an invoice, customs entry or internal costing sheet.

Ask the South African importer, customs broker or SARS Rules of Origin contact to confirm which date applies to the actual declaration and whether the entry is covered by the scheme. Save the written answer, the notice version and the date of the check in the shipment file. Treat the apparent inconsistency as an unresolved filing question, not as permission to backdate a certificate.

Build the China-side document pack

For each shipment, ask the Chinese supplier to provide the exact product description, model, tariff classification proposed by the broker, manufacturer and production location, commercial invoice, packing list, transport details and the applicable certificate of origin or supporting origin evidence. Keep the certificate tied to the same shipment, seller, goods description and quantity; do not reuse a certificate from another order.

SARS explains that origin affects import duty, admissibility and whether goods receive preferential treatment. A trading company may arrange export, but it should be able to identify the actual producer and support the origin claim. If production uses materials from more than one country, ask the broker how the relevant origin rule applies rather than describing the goods as Chinese merely because they ship from China.

Make CHN part of the release gate

Add a customs-data checkpoint to the RFQ and purchase order: who enters CHN, who supplies the Additional Information Value, who checks the certificate, and who pays if a declaration is rejected or corrected. Compare the invoice, packing list, certificate and customs-entry draft for names, quantities, units, tariff line and origin before booking the cargo.

Do not advertise a zero-tariff landed cost until the South African broker has confirmed the actual product and origin conditions. If the system is not ready, keep the manual endorsement and stamped-certificate process documented during the grace period, and ask the broker how to replace or reconcile it once electronic submission is available. This is general procurement information, not tax or customs advice.

Your next-order checklist

  • Confirm that the product and origin qualify before assuming a China zero-tariff result.
  • Declare CHN in the Additional Information field and obtain the required Additional Information Value from the responsible trader or broker.
  • Resolve SARS’s 1 May 2026 versus 1 May 2025 date wording in writing; never backdate or guess a certificate.
  • Match the certificate, invoice, packing list, producer, quantities, tariff line and shipment before cargo release.
  • Document the 30-business-day manual-endorsement process and its replacement plan with the South African broker.

Sources & reference dates

  1. SARS: Important Information for Traders — China Zero-Tariff Trade Scheme CHN codeSource published: 2026-09-04
  2. SARS Rules of Origin page and China scheme updateSource published: 2026-09-04

Prepared by the Yifeng Sourcing editorial team with AI assistance from the primary sources listed below. Source dates are recorded; destination-specific requirements should be reconfirmed before acting. This is not legal or tax advice.