On 22 January 2026, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa ITAC advised, through a Government Gazette notice, that it had self-initiated a tariff investigation into the appropriate level of the Dollar-Based Reference Price DBRP for sugar classifiable under tariff heading 17.01, on which comment is due by 05 March 2026.
ITAC received two applications from industry value chain stakeholders regarding the current level of the DBRP for sugar.
The South African Sugar Association SASA applied for an increase in the current DBRP from US680/ton to US905/ton, citing, amongst other reasons, the need to protect the local sugar industry and ensure its sustainability. This application was made known to industry stakeholders, who were provided the opportunity to submit preliminary comments.
