Background: What Is Being Proposed

South Africa's International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) has signalled it is considering import duties of up to 50% on vehicles from China and India. The proposal covers passenger vehicles and, separately, tariffs of around 30% on automotive parts and accessories. The move was confirmed by ITAC Chief Commissioner Ayabonga Cawe in testimony to parliament's Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition in late January 2026 and widely reported by Bloomberg, Channel Africa, and Moneyweb.

The review is being coordinated with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and sits alongside a separate DTIC examination of South Africa's ad valorem (luxury) tax on new vehicles. No final decision has been announced. The proposals remain under review.

Why Now: Record Imports and a Shifting Market

ITAC Commissioner Cawe cited a stark reversal in the structure of the South African vehicle market. Two decades ago, roughly two in every three vehicles sold in South Africa were assembled or manufactured locally. That ratio has now flipped: today only one in three vehicles sold domestically is locally produced, with the balance made up of imports, increasingly from China, India and Thailand.

South Africa recorded its highest-ever new vehicle sales in 2025, yet a historically large share of those sales came from imports rather than local assembly. That combination — record volumes, shrinking local share — is what triggered the ITAC review. Chinese truck brands including Sinotruk HOWO have expanded strongly in South Africa in recent years. CFAO Mobility (the official Sinotruk dealer) has delivered over 200 trucks to DP World Sub-Saharan Africa alone since late 2023. HOWO models are listed at around R1.7 million, compared with approximately R2.5 million for comparable European-brand heavy trucks.

The tariff conversation is also taking place against a broader backdrop. On 20 March 2026, South Africa imposed anti-dumping tariffs of 74.98% on structural steel from China, signalling a more assertive stance on Chinese imports across multiple sectors.

Industry Reaction: Against the 50% Hammer

The automotive industry's response to the proposed ceiling rate was swift and clear. Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa and president of Naamsa (the automotive business council), told reporters that while 50% is the WTO bound rate — the legal maximum — nobody in the industry was requesting that level. BMW Group's Rosslyn plant produced more than 79,000 units in 2025, its highest-ever volume, with 88% exported to Europe, and van Binsbergen said a punishing import tariff on Chinese vehicles could backfire by triggering retaliatory measures that damage South Africa's own export-oriented auto sector.

DTIC Chief Director for Automotives Mkhululi Mlota separately stated that the government is in active dialogue with Chinese and Indian firms to encourage local investment and assembly, and cautioned that an adversarial tariff environment would not help those conversations.

Does This Cover HOWO Trucks?

The ITAC review as publicly described is focused primarily on passenger vehicles and light vehicles, where import penetration from China and India is most visible. South Africa already levies a 20% ad valorem duty on medium and heavy commercial vehicles, with EU imports benefiting from a preferential rate of 12% under existing trade agreements.

The proposed rates of up to 50% on passenger vehicles and around 30% on parts and accessories have been explicitly confirmed. Whether similar increases would be applied specifically to heavy commercial vehicles such as HOWO dump trucks, tippers, and tractor heads has not been confirmed in any official statement reviewed at time of publication. However, any escalation in the general tariff trajectory for Chinese vehicles would likely affect procurement costs for commercial vehicle operators and importers in South Africa.

Separately, South Africa imposes a de facto ban on the import of used vehicles for domestic use (used vehicles may transit through South Africa for re-export). This ban is enforced through ITAC's import permit regime and exists independently of any new tariff proposals. Buyers of used HOWO trucks from China for use in South Africa have always operated under this constraint.

What It Means for HOWO Buyers in Southern Africa

For fleet operators and procurement managers across southern Africa, three practical points are worth tracking:

South Africa itself: The existing used vehicle import ban already prevents direct importation of used HOWO trucks from China for domestic registration. New HOWO units imported by authorised dealers such as CFAO Mobility and Sinotruk SA already enter under the current 20% heavy commercial vehicle tariff regime. If that rate increases substantially, it would raise retail prices for new HOWO trucks in South Africa — narrowing the cost gap with European brands.

Neighbouring markets: Buyers in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini, who often source used HOWO trucks via South African ports for onward transshipment, should monitor whether any new South African import restrictions affect port handling or re-export flows. At present, South Africa allows transit of used vehicles for re-export, and this arrangement is unaffected by the current proposals.

Timing: No implementation date has been set. The ITAC review is ongoing. Buyers planning procurement in the next 6–12 months are advised to monitor announcements from ITAC and the DTIC before committing to large orders that rely on current tariff rates.

Outlook

South Africa's tariff deliberations reflect a wider tension playing out across Africa: Chinese heavy trucks offer compelling value for construction, mining and logistics operators, but governments in larger markets are beginning to push back on the pace of import growth. The outcome of the ITAC review will be closely watched by Sinotruk's South African dealer network, competing European brands, and fleet buyers across the SADC region.

For buyers in markets where used HOWO trucks can be imported directly from China — including the DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and most of West and East Africa — the South African tariff debate has limited near-term impact. Procurement from Chinese exporters direct to those markets remains straightforward.

Questions about sourcing used HOWO trucks for southern or eastern Africa? Contact us at bruce@alstonmotors.com or visit www.usedhowotrucks.com.

Sources

• Bloomberg — South Africa Weighs Steep Tariffs on Vehicles from China, India (27 January 2026)
• Channel Africa — SA Considers Tariffs of Up to 50% on Vehicles from China and India
• Moneyweb — SA Auto Industry Against 50% Duty Hammer on Imported Vehicles (February 2026)
• Moneyweb — The DTIC Considers Ad Valorem Tax Changes (February 2026)
• CNBC Africa — South Africa Imposes Steep Tariffs on Structural Steel from China, Thailand (20 March 2026)
• CnEVPost — South Africa Considers Tariffs on Vehicles from China and India (28 January 2026)
• Hualong Auto — Sinotruk HOWO South Africa Performance Review
• Naamsa — South Africa Vehicle Import Duty Structure