Complaint number |
NTB Type
Check allUncheck all |
Date of incident |
Location |
Reporting country or region (additional) |
Status |
Actions |
NTB-000-348 |
5.1. Quantitative restrictions |
2010-02-09 |
Botswana: Ministry of Trade |
Botswana |
Resolved 2011-07-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Botswana regulates importation and pricing of petroleum products |
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Resolution status note:
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Botswana reported that petroleum products are not regulated |
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NTB-000-348 |
5.1. Quantitative restrictions |
2010-02-09 |
Botswana: Ministry of Trade |
Botswana |
Resolved 2011-07-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Botswana regulates importation and pricing of petroleum products |
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Resolution status note:
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On 22 July 2011, Botswana reported that petroleum products are not regulated |
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NTB-000-347 |
5.1. Quantitative restrictions |
2010-02-09 |
Botswana: Ministry of Agriculture |
Botswana |
Resolved 2010-11-29 |
View |
Complaint:
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Botswana regulates importation of grains |
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Resolution status note:
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Botswana reported that it has multi channel maize marketing. Ministry of Agriculture issue import permits to ensure balance between local sourcing and importation. |
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NTB-000-349 |
6.2. Administrative fees |
2010-02-10 |
South Africa: Ministry of Transport |
Mozambique |
Resolved 2011-03-09 |
View |
Complaint:
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South Africa charges on refrigerated trucks that come to pick bananas from Mozambique are too high |
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Resolution status note:
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South Africa reported that this is no longer existing |
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NTB-000-352 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures Policy/Regulatory |
2010-02-10 |
SADC |
Namibia |
Resolved 2011-11-10 |
View |
Complaint:
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The cabotage law applied by SADC Member states contributes to high transport costs. The law does not allow an empty truck to carry back a load from a third country. For example, a South African truck dropping off a load in Namibia cannot pick up a load in Namibia destined for Botswana even though this truck is using trans Kalahari Highway linking the two countries |
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Resolution status note:
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SADC secretariat responded that : the customs term cabotage as stated in Specific Annex E, Chapter 3 of the revised Kyoto Convention, is applied for imported goods that have not been declared under the condition that they must be transported in a vessel other than the importing vessel in which they arrived in the Customs territory are loaded on board a vessel at a place in the Customs territory and are transported to another place in the same Customs territory where they are then unloaded and cleared. The term can also be used for the same purposes for air transportation (domestic flights).
Looking to the complaint technically, one of the SADC Secretariat key objectives is to reduce the costs of doing business in the region. However, some interventions of the Secretariat are bounded by its regional economic integration process. SADC is currently a FTA among its 11 Member States, enabling goods originating in Member States applying the FTA to enter duty free and quota free under certain conditions stated in the SADC Protocol on Trade. For this economic activity, economic operators are not obliged to be registered as economic operators in the countries were goods are delivered. A deeper regional economic integration would be needed in order to allow foreign economic operators to engage in business activities in Member States, benefiting from local business opportunities but also fiscal obligations. This is a level of economic integration closer to common market and which unfortunately, the SADC Protocol on Trade does not provide for. |
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NTB-000-353 |
7.9. Inadequate trade related infrastructure |
2010-02-10 |
SADC |
Namibia |
Resolved 2016-10-07 |
View |
Complaint:
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A truck legally loaded in Namibia may not be legally loaded in another SADC country due to lack of uniform loads and Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) standards in SADC. There is need to standardize the axle loads |
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Resolution status note:
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FESARTA reported that this NTB was no longer in place |
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NTB-000-355 |
8.7. Costly Road user charges /fees |
2010-02-10 |
SADC |
Namibia |
Resolved 2012-06-15 |
View |
Complaint:
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Bond registration fees are excessively high in all SADC countries. Especially when cargo transits in two countries the bond registration fees become a constraint. |
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Resolution status note:
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The 10th meeting of SADC Committee on Trade facilitation held on 14-15 June 2012 noted that the issue of bonds is normally managed by private sector, mostly banks therefore commercial rates would prevail. It was also noted that
within the SADC Customs work programme, there is work to facilitate single transit bond, the result of which should be
ready by March 2013. This NTB was therefore considered resolved on grounds that bond registration fees are cahrged at market rates. |
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NTB-000-374 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
COMESA |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2019-10-12 |
View |
Complaint:
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Lack of a SADC simplified trading regime hampers small traders from doing business with their SADC counterparts. |
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Resolution status note:
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During the national Workshop to launch SMS tool for Zimbabwe and training on online system, held on 10- 12 October 2019, Zimbabwe reviewed all outstanding NTBs and reported that SADC had made progress in developing the SADC STR and therefore this resolves the issue. |
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NTB-000-375 |
2.3. Issues related to the rules of origin |
2010-02-10 |
SADC |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2011-11-10 |
View |
Complaint:
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There is lack of clarity and information on the authorities issuing and processing SADC certificates of origin in Member states. |
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Resolution status note:
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SADC secretariat reported that : as stated in rule 9 of the Annex I of the SADC Protocol on Trade, “Member States shall deposit with the Secretariat the names of Departments and Agencies authorized to issue the certificates required […], specimen signatures of officials authorized to sign the certificates and the impressions of the official stamps to be used for that purpose, and those shall be circulated to Member States by the Secretariat.” SADC Secretariat circulates all the documentary evidence to Member States immediately upon reception. Additionally, the SADC Customs Unit is working in a user-friendly customs related link in the SADC Secretariat’s website to accommodate not only issues related to documentary evidence for the process of SADC RoO, but also all the binding documentation that enhances trade in the Region. |
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NTB-000-350 |
7.6. Lack of information on procedures (or changes thereof) |
2010-02-10 |
Mozambique: Ministry of Trade |
Mozambique |
Resolved 2011-06-08 |
View |
Complaint:
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Mozambique private sector do not have information regarding tariffs obtaining in the SADC FTA. They are also not conversant with the SADC certificate of origin |
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Resolution status note:
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Mozambique, reported that there exists a confederation of association of the private sector (CTA) in which there is a working group that deals with customs matters, which participates in all meetings and events related to the subject. |
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NTB-000-372 |
7.1. Arbitrariness Policy/Regulatory |
2010-02-10 |
Mozambique: Beira Port |
Zambia |
Resolved 2011-08-23 |
View |
Complaint:
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Beira port authority arbitrarily assign security escort for randomly selected containers and charge US$150 without the knowledge of the importer. |
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Resolution status note:
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During the 8th meeting of the SADC Sub Committee on Trade Facilitation ,Mozambique reported that the US$150 is a scanning charge gazette and information available to port users. Security is not assigned arbitrarily. |
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NTB-000-372 |
7.1. Arbitrariness Policy/Regulatory |
2010-02-10 |
Mozambique: Beira Port |
Zambia |
Resolved 2011-08-23 |
View |
Complaint:
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Beira port authority arbitrarily assign security escort for randomly selected containers and charge US$150 without the knowledge of the importer. |
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Resolution status note:
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Mozambique advised that consultations with the CORNELDER - the Company responsible for the Beira Port had been completed and that the issue had been resolved |
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NTB-000-356 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
Tanzania: Tanzania Revenue Authority |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2011-07-28 |
View |
Complaint:
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Customs officers arbitrarily verify goods in transit at various check points and break seals for 100% physical verification leading to delays, breakages for goods thinly packed in the container etc. Customs could communicate with the next customs point at the border for verification to avoid 100% verification along the way. In some instances, the verification would have taken place at the point of loading the goods. |
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Resolution status note:
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Tanzania Revenue Authority reported that there are only two check points in Misubusubu and at Makambako to check only the if truck abides by transit time and transit route. TRA does not break any seals. If any seal is tempered with transporter is supposed to notify TRA office, transit check point or the nearest police station. All transit check points are automated under asycuda so they can be monitored in the system. TRA is in the process of acquiring electronic cargo tracking system hence check points will go away. |
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NTB-000-357 |
7.9. Inadequate trade related infrastructure |
2010-02-10 |
Tanzania: Ministry of Transport |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2011-08-28 |
View |
Complaint:
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A transit point in Mbezi is too small. The ongoing Stakeholders meetings to resolve the issue are taking long to materialize. Trucks are held for as long as 2,5km long ques. |
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Resolution status note:
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Tanzania Revenue Authority reported that this transit point was closed in March 2010. |
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NTB-000-362 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
Tanzania: Tanzania Revenue Authority |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2011-07-28 |
View |
Complaint:
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There are different offices for processing customs documents in Tanzania. There is need for one stop house fore.g. in Dar-es- salaam |
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Resolution status note:
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Tanzania Revenue Authority reported that all documentation for imports is centralized and is available and processed online. Allexports documents are processed at the borders. |
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NTB-000-362 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
Tanzania: Tanzania Revenue Authority |
Tanzania |
Resolved 2011-07-28 |
View |
Complaint:
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There are different offices for processing customs documents in Tanzania. There is need for one stop house fore.g. in Dar-es- salaam |
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Resolution status note:
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Tanzania reported that documentation procedures have been decentralized as a result of use of online lodging of documents and extended working hours at the custom's department, among other improvements. Tanzania Revenue Authority reported that all documentation for imports is available processed online. All exports documents are processed at the border. |
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NTB-000-371 |
7.8. Consular and Immigration Issues |
2010-02-10 |
Tanzania: Ministry of Trade |
Zambia |
Resolved 2011-05-23 |
View |
Complaint:
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Tanzania was charging a discriminatory US$100.00 for visa for all business people attending the Saba Saba Trade Fair in Dar es Salaam without notification. |
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Resolution status note:
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Tanzania reported that there is no VISA between Tanzania and Zambia. US$ 100 is not VISA but rather a Temporary Assignment Pass for any gainful activity which is undertaken for less than 3 months which is being paid at the entry and exit points respectively. Notification is communicated during the preparations of the trade fairs. |
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NTB-000-373 |
7.1. Arbitrariness |
2010-02-10 |
Tanzania: Dar-es-Salaam Port |
Zambia |
Resolved 2011-05-23 |
View |
Complaint:
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Dar es Salaam port arbitrarily transfers containers to Inland Container Deports without the knowledge of importers and charges importers between US$150-US$200 depending on the type of ICD the containers are sent to. |
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Resolution status note:
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Tanzania reported that, currently the TPA is discouraging the Transit Cargo to be transferred to ICDs by keeping them at the port or by operating the system of Whole Ship Transfer to ICDs with no additional charges. |
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NTB-000-364 |
5.12. Export restraint arrangements |
2010-02-10 |
Zambia: Ministry of Agriculture |
Zambia |
Resolved 2011-03-04 |
View |
Complaint:
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The Office dealing with export permits for seed in the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia only opens at 11.00 hours. This causes delay in obtaining the export permits. |
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Resolution status note:
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Zambia reported that the office opens from 08:00am to 5pm, but collection starts at 11:00am to allow for processing in the morning. |
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NTB-000-365 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2010-02-10 |
Zambia: Matumbo and Chinsali |
Zambia |
Resolved 2010-07-30 |
View |
Complaint:
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Inland Zambia State Police request for customs documents at Road Blocks (Matumbo, Chinsali) creating unnecessary delays. |
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Resolution status note:
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Zambia reported that it’s a requirement for security purposes, which applies to both locals and international road users. |
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