The SA Revenue Service (SARS) says a date is yet to be set for imposing 45% tariffs, plus VAT, on small cut-price clothing imports flooding the SA market from brands such as Shein and Temu. 

SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko said on Monday that the agency was consulting with the industry before upping the tariff on imported clothing, textiles, and footwear costing under R500. "The consultations are still under way," he said.

Sibeko said SARS and the retail industry, including parcel delivery companies, are still discussing an implementation date. The agency doesn't want to "arbitrarily" set a date, causing a rush to comply.

He said that the revenue collection agency had never set a hard date for the rules and that there appears to be some confusion over reports of a communicated date, which is not the case.