South Africa ITAC final anti-dumping duties on top-load washing machines from China and Thailand (9.39%-67.11%)

Mechanism

Defy Appliances (Pty) Ltd, the SACU industry petitioner, alleged dumped imports of fully automatic top-load washing machines (10-17 kg dry-linen capacity, HS 8450.20.20) from China and Thailand were causing material injury. ITAC's investigation moved from a provisional determination in July 2025 to an Amended Final Determination (Report No. 772), finding dumping and injury with a causal link. SARS gave effect to the Commission's recommendation via Government Notice 3907 of 2026, imposing definitive anti-dumping duties ranging from 9.39% to 67.11% across the named origins and respondent exporters, effective 23 April 2026 for a standard five-year term. ITAC's own release does not break the range down by individual exporter; the underlying Report 772 and Notice 3907 carry the full company-specific schedule.

South Africa's ITAC is a well-represented trade-remedy authority in the register (float glass, flat-rolled and structural steel, transformer cores, Mozambique tubes/pipes), and this is a distinct instrument aimed at a new product line — household appliances rather than industrial metals/glass inputs.

Downstream implications

• Raises landed cost of Chinese- and Thai-origin top-load washing

machines in the SACU market by up to 67.11%, protecting Defy's domestic production against the named exporters for the five-year order term.

• Chinese and Thai white-goods exporters face a material tariff

disadvantage versus SACU-manufactured or non-named-origin machines in this specific capacity band.

Open questions

• What are the individual respondent-exporter rates within the

9.39%-67.11% range, and which named companies sit at each end (Report 772 / Notice 3907 were not fully reproduced in the sources checked)?

• Will Chinese or Thai exporters request individual rate reviews given

the width of the range?