Complaint number |
NTB Type
Check allUncheck all |
Date of incident |
Location |
Reporting country or region (additional) |
Status |
Actions |
NTB-000-205 |
1.1. Export subsidies A82: Testing requirement |
2009-07-27 |
Malawi: Malawi Bureau of Standards |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Delays in obtaining approval of test reports |
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Resolution status note:
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Malawi reported that the challenge had been noted by Government and measures are being taken to improve the procedures by the Standards Bureau |
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NTB-000-204 |
1.1. Export subsidies B41: TBT regulations on production processes |
2009-07-27 |
SADC |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Non recognition given of ZIMBABWE standards as having equivalent outcomes by SADC countries Authorities |
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Resolution status note:
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SADC Secretariat advised that there is no obligation for any country to recognize another country’s national standard in SADC. However if a standard has been harmonized at regional level, all SADC countries are expected to adopt and recognize that standard. Many national standards bodies adopt international standards as their national standards. It would be highly unusual and unexpected for one country not to recognize a national standard - which is an adoption of an international standard - of a second country |
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NTB-000-203 |
7.6. Lack of information on procedures (or changes thereof) |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Mozambique Bureau of Standards |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Difficulty in getting copies of relevant Standards |
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Resolution status note:
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Mozambique reported that the question reported that INNOQ ( Mozambique national Institute of standards) there are many many – Brochures for the relevant standards |
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NTB-000-202 |
7.6. Lack of information on procedures (or changes thereof) |
2009-07-27 |
Botswana: Botswana Bureau of Standards |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Difficulty in getting copies of relevant Standards |
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Resolution status note:
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Botswana reported that Botswana standards are accessible and available through Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS). ISO, EN, BS and other standards from SADC member states and other regions are obtainable through BOBS. Anyone can access or obtain standards through BOBS at a fee. |
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NTB-000-201 |
7.6. Lack of information on procedures (or changes thereof) |
2009-07-27 |
Malawi: Malawi Bureau of Standards |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Difficulty in accessing information on what Standards are relevant |
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Resolution status note:
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Malawi reported that the Malawi Bureau of Standards has booklets on standards which can be accessed by the business community on demand. |
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NTB-000-200 |
5.1. Quantitative restrictions |
2009-07-27 |
Zimbabwe: Ministry of Trade |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-07-30 |
View |
Complaint:
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Licences for importing cooking oil are only issued in times of shortages. |
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Resolution status note:
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Zimbabwe reported that trade in cooking oil has been liberalised. This requirement is no longer obtaining. |
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NTB-000-199 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Revenue Authority |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2011-06-09 |
View |
Complaint:
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Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) machines are connected to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe which is linked through the internet to enable them to access approved copies of CDI forms. Serious delays are faced in processing the export documents because the systems are frequently down or unable to connect during working hours. The verification process by RBZ takes too long - up to 3 days. |
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Resolution status note:
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Zimbabwe reported that there is fallback method in the event that the system is down. The CD1s are processed manually and are captured later in the excel spreadsheet which is then forwarded electronically to RBZ on weekly basis. There is therefore no delay in processing export documents |
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NTB-000-198 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Malawi: Malawi Revenue Authority |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Discrimination in goods clearance between small and commercial traders.The quantities that a trader carries determine the procedure to be followed in clearing goods through the border. Small traders into Malawi are clogging up the whole system and flooding up the whole market with commercial goods. Commercial traders are pushed out of the system because of the procedures that are applied at the port of entry. |
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Resolution status note:
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Malawi reported that Customs clearing procedures are the same for small as well as commercial traders, but this could have been a one-off incident. However, now the Revenue Authority has an inland clearing system to overcome delays at the border and Malawi will continuously monitor the situation at the border to ensure smooth flow of goods and people |
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NTB-000-197 |
2.8. Lengthy and costly customs clearance procedures |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Delegação Aduaneira de Machipanda (Rail) |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Zimbabwean exporters take longer to clear products at the Mozambique/Zimbabwe border. This is affecting particularly exports of fresh milk. This has limited Zimbabweans to exporting products that have a long shelf life into that country. |
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Resolution status note:
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Mozambique reported that there are proper procedures for speedy clearance of fresh products, which ensure timely customs clearance and without damage to the economic operators. We will try to ascertain the situation and creating conditions that this does not happen again |
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NTB-000-196 |
2.3. Issues related to the rules of origin Policy/Regulatory |
2009-07-27 |
SADC |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2011-11-10 |
View |
Complaint:
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Delays in communicating signatories that verify certificates of origin. |
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Resolution status note:
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SADC Secretariat reported that,in accordance to rule 9 of 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 receipt. In addition, 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 processing of SADC RoO, but also all the binding documentation that enhances trade in the Region. |
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NTB-000-195 |
2.10. Inadequate or unreasonable customs procedures and charges |
2009-07-27 |
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Revenue Authority |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2011-03-01 |
View |
Complaint:
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Valuation of goods is done by senior Customs (ZIMRA) Officers who are not always available thus causing further delays. |
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Resolution status note:
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Zimbabwe reported that an office specifically dealing with valuation matters is now in place at Beitbridge and is headed by a senior officer. |
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NTB-000-194 |
2.2. Arbitrary customs classification |
2009-07-27 |
Zimbabwe: Ministry of Industry & Commerce |
Zimbabwe |
Resolved 2011-03-01 |
View |
Complaint:
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The Zimbabwe tariff regime has a wide dispersion of import duty rates across the harmonised System. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and importers are often engaged in disputes over which tariff code to classify certain commodities. Where two tariff codes appear similar, ZIMRA officials would want to maximize revenue and classify commodities according the high revenue earning tariff. At the same time, importers classify commodities according to the lowest tariff rates in order to minimize costs. These tariff classification disputes act as a non tariff barrier which can delay the clearing of goods. Valuation of goods is done by senior Customs (ZIMRA) Officers who are not always available thus causing further delays. |
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Resolution status note:
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Zimbabwe reported that Clear tariff resolution structures are in place. These start from station level up to National level. Importers of goods may escalate the disputes to Fiscal courts and ZIMRA may also seek the assistance of WCO tariff rulings. |
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NTB-000-193 |
8.7. Costly Road user charges /fees Policy/Regulatory |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Ministry of Transport |
Malawi |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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High cost of transportation. Nearly two-thirds of the exported product is transported by the long route of road and rail to Durban, rather than the less expensive route via rail to Nacala, Mozambique. The savings from use of the closer port would be as much as 7-10 percent of total cost |
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Resolution status note:
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The corridors issues is being adressed thorugh the Regional trade facilitation programme. Th eissues are therfore being attended to in the overall regional infrastructure developement programme |
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NTB-000-192 |
7.9. Inadequate trade related infrastructure Policy/Regulatory |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Beira Port |
Malawi |
Resolved 2011-09-23 |
View |
Complaint:
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Inefficient loading and unloading facilities at Nacala and Beira ports in Mozambique resulting in time delays and occasionally additional warehousing costs. |
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Resolution status note:
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In consultations with the Beira Port Authorities, namely, Cornelder, on the 22nd of September 2011, at the Beira Port, Cornelder informed that indeed during the dredging process the Beira port faced a lot of delays but that aspect has been overcome now that the dredging process is over. |
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NTB-000-191 |
7.9. Inadequate trade related infrastructure |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Ministry of Transport |
Malawi |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Logistical bottlenecks along the Nacala and Beira rail routes have resulted in nearly 60% of Malawi's tobacco exports being sent overland to the more distant port of Durban.Nacala and Beira routes relatively expensive and inefficient. |
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Resolution status note:
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This is a general complaint which Malawi could not folow up due to lack of specific information. |
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NTB-000-190 |
7.9. Inadequate trade related infrastructure Policy/Regulatory |
2009-07-27 |
SADC |
Malawi |
Resolved 2011-01-10 |
View |
Complaint:
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Inconsistency of road traffic laws, and their application in SADC. |
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Resolution status note:
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Botswana reported that ahe is in the process of harmonizing traffic laws with SADC traffic laws; however, there are some traffic laws that have been harmonized e.g. road signs etc. |
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NTB-000-189 |
2.11. Lack of control in Customs infrastructure |
2009-07-27 |
South Africa: Beit Bridge |
Malawi |
Resolved 2012-04-26 |
View |
Complaint:
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Pilferage of goods and the opening of sealed containers at the South African side of the Beitbridge border post |
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Resolution status note:
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At the 3rd meeting the Tripartite NTBs Focal Points and NMC Chairs held in Dar -es-Salaam on 19-20 April 2012,South Africa reported that they would consult SARS to provide an explanation of how the border process works and on measures put in place to prevent the incident re-occurring. Once this information was received from SARS, it wiould be uploaded to the online system. It was therefore agreed to have this NTB resolved as this could have been a once off incident. |
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NTB-000-188 |
7.10. Other |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Ministry of Transport |
Malawi |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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risk of robbery and theft along the way, particularly in Mozambique |
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Resolution status note:
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This complaint is too general and therefore cannot be traced. Malawi reported that they were unable to substatntiate the complaint. |
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NTB-000-188 |
7.10. Other |
2009-07-27 |
Mozambique: Ministry of Transport |
Malawi |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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risk of robbery and theft along the way, particularly in Mozambique |
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Resolution status note:
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Malawi and Mozambique reported that the complaint is too general and cannot be processed any further. In the absence of additional information, the complaint is therefore considered resolved. |
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NTB-000-187 |
2.14. Other |
2009-07-27 |
Malawi: Ministry of Transport |
Malawi |
Resolved 2010-11-22 |
View |
Complaint:
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Charges on delayed reporting by truck.Clearance must take place within 24 hours or a fine is issued if the shipment is late. |
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Resolution status note:
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Malawi reported that this is not an NTB but a legitimate control measure for truck reporting. |
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