HS Code 7013.28 — Other drinking glasses | South Africa Import & Export

The South African import duty on other drinking glasses (non-crystal stemware and tumblers, other than glass-ceramics) under HS code 7013.28 is 5% MFN, with 15% VAT charged on the ATV (FOB customs value × 1.10 + duty). Preferential rates under SADC and the EU-SADC EPA can reduce the duty to 0% with valid origin certification. ITAC anti-dumping determinations on Chinese-origin glassware have historically applied additional duties and must be checked at clearance.

Customs Duty Rate

The customs duty rate for HS Code 7013.28 is 5%. Duty is calculated on the FOB customs value (the goods value at the point of loading onto the carrier; international freight and insurance are not part of the duty base). Import VAT is then 15% of the Added Tax Value (ATV) — customs value + 10% uplift (for non-SACU origin; nil for BLNS countries) + non-rebated duty.

Product description — what HS 7013.28 actually covers

HS 7013.28 covers other drinking glasses, other than of glass-ceramics. The “other” in this case sits within the structure of 7013.2 (drinking glasses) and excludes the named premium sub-lines: 7013.22 (lead crystal stemware on stems) and 7013.33 (other drinking glasses of lead crystal). What remains is the workhorse drinking-glass volume:

• Non-crystal stemmed glasses — restaurant wine glasses, beer glasses, champagne flutes, brandy snifters made of soda-lime or borosilicate glass
• Tumblers — whisky rocks glasses, highballs, water glasses, juice glasses
• Beer steins, tankards, half-pint and pint glasses
• Branded promotional glassware (lager-brand pint glasses, spirit-brand tumblers)
• Cocktail glasses — Martini, coupe, Nick & Nora, hurricane
• Disposable-look-replacement glassware (acrylic or polycarbonate would route elsewhere, but glass alternatives stay here)

What 7013.28 does NOT cover: lead crystal stemware (7013.41 — already documented), other lead crystal drinking glasses (7013.33), glass-ceramic drinking ware (typically chapter 69 or specific 7013 sub-lines), kitchen tumblers used in food preparation (re-routes by use), tableware and kitchenware not for drinking (7013.49 other glass tableware), or laboratory glassware (chapter 70 different headings).

The 5% MFN rate is the SACU protection band for finished glassware — the SA glass-container manufacturing capacity (Consol, Nampak) supports protectionist tariffs across chapter 70 for finished products.

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SA importer profile

The 7013.28 traffic into South Africa concentrates in five buyer-types:

• Restaurant and hotel hospitality supply — Bidvest, Vector, Spec-Savers, Caterquip, Hospitality Supplies — importing restaurant-grade glassware (Schott Zwiesel, Riedel Restaurant, Spiegelau, Bormioli, Pasabahce) for hotel groups (Tsogo Sun, Sun International, Marriott, Radisson) and independent restaurants.
• On-trade beverage groups and brand-owners importing branded promotional glassware (SAB Castle pint glasses, Diageo, Pernod Ricard brand spirits tumblers) for distribution into the on-trade.
• Retail and decor retailers — Yuppiechef, Banks Kitchen Shop, @home, Mr Price Home — importing house-brand and licensed glassware for consumer-retail.
• Cocktail-bar specialists and craft-bar operators importing single-shipment specialty glassware (Nick & Nora glasses, copper Moscow Mule mugs, specialty whisky tumblers).
• Gift retailers importing decorative branded sets and gift-boxed glassware.

Volume routes mostly via FCL sea freight (Bormioli ex-Italy, Pasabahce ex-Turkey, Schott Zwiesel ex-Germany, Chinese suppliers ex-Shanghai/Ningbo), with LCL for smaller orders and air-freight for time-critical exhibition or restaurant-launch stock.

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Import procedure — step by step

1. Confirm the line classification. 7013.28 is non-crystal drinking glasses other than glass-ceramic. Lead crystal stemware is 7013.41; other lead crystal drinking glasses are 7013.33. Pasabahce, Bormioli, Schott Zwiesel restaurant ranges generally route to 7013.28.
2. SABS food-contact compliance. Glass tableware in food contact must meet SANS 285 / SANS 1543 series (compulsory specifications for tableware) — but the compulsory specification for glassware as a food-contact material is less prescriptive than for ceramic or plastic; SABS marks are voluntary for most product. NRCS Letters of Authority are NOT typically required for non-electrical glassware. The procurement-side ask from major hospitality buyers is the supplier’s compliance certificate to EU 1935/2004 or FDA 21 CFR food-contact regulations — readily available from European suppliers.
3. Origin certificate for preferential entry. EUR.1 or REX for EU origin (Bormioli ex-Italy, Schott Zwiesel ex-Germany = duty-free under EPA). EUR.1 for Turkey under SA-Turkey arrangements (verify current bilateral). SADC for member-state product. SACU for intra-SACU. Chinese origin stays at full 5% MFN.
4. ITAC anti-dumping check. ITAC has issued anti-dumping determinations on Chinese-origin glassware historically; check the active register at clearance time for the 7013.28 sub-line and country of origin.
5. SARS Importer Code (CCN) in place.
6. Book freight. Glassware is volumetric (low weight, high volume) — FCL stuffing optimised for cube; LCL palletisation with cardboard divider sheets between layers. Bormioli factory-direct cartons typically have inner protective dividers; budget cartons from Asian suppliers often do not — 5–10% breakage is normal on long sea routes for Chinese-supplier glassware that has not been over-packed at origin.
7. File the SAD500. Box 33: 7013.28 (or applicable sub-line). Box 31: “Drinking glasses, [stemware / tumblers / pint glasses], [non-lead crystal] glass, manufacturer [brand], pattern [name], quantity [units]”. Attach commercial invoice, origin certificate, supplier compliance certificate (1935/2004 or FDA), packing list.
8. Pay duty (0–5% plus any active ITAC ADD) and 15% VAT. Hospitality wholesalers reclaim VAT.
9. Archive the audit pack.

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SAD500 worked example — Bormioli restaurant-grade tumblers from Italy

Scenario: a SA hospitality supplier imports 5,000 Bormioli Rocco restaurant-grade water tumblers for a hotel-group rollout. Invoice value EUR 6,500 (EUR 1.30 each FOB ex-works), freight EUR 980 (LCL Cape Town), insurance EUR 90. At R20.40 per EUR the CIF lands at R155,652. EU-SADC EPA preferential origin claimed with valid EUR.1.

For the same volume from a Chinese supplier with an illustrative 25% active ITAC anti-dumping determination (Italian price R1.30 each, Chinese price R0.65 each — assume same R6,500 invoice but doubled volume = 10,000 units, freight similar EUR 980):

Even with ADD applied, the Chinese-origin lower factory price typically wins on per-unit cost — but the spread is narrower than headline invoice prices suggest, and the breakage risk on cheap factory packing erodes the gap further.

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SARS pitfalls — what gets the glassware importer audit-trailed

Classification creep — 7013.28 vs 7013.41 vs 7013.49. A “premium crystal-look” stemware that is actually soda-lime (not lead crystal) stays at 7013.28. A “lead-free crystal” — which uses barium or potassium oxide instead of lead — is technically not in the 7013.41 lead crystal scope; SARS practice typically routes lead-free “crystal” to 7013.28 or 7013.33 depending on the marketing pitch. Get clarity on the supplier’s spec sheet — Schott Zwiesel “Tritan” glassware is lead-free and routes to 7013.28.

Origin-certificate technical failures. Same chapter-94/95 risk profile.

ITAC anti-dumping creep on Chinese glassware. Determinations have included tableware lines historically; chapter 70 finished glass has been a target for SACU-protective measures over time. The country-and-exporter granularity of ADD determinations matters.

Promotional glassware brand-owner liability. Branded glassware (SAB Castle, Diageo Johnnie Walker tumbler) imported by a brand-distribution channel rather than the brand owner can trigger trade-mark queries under the Counterfeit Goods Act if the chain-of-authorisation is unclear. The SA importer should hold a written authorisation from the brand owner before the SAD500 is filed.

Breakage and post-entry adjustments. A 5–10% breakage on a Chinese-origin glassware FCL is not abnormal. SARS does not provide automatic post-entry duty refunds for in-transit damage; the importer’s insurance handles the cost, and duty is paid on the full CIF as declared at clearance. Some clearing agents reverse-engineer the entry with a pre-clearance physical examination to declare on the surviving units — this is procedurally messy and rarely faster than the insurance route.

Bonded warehousing for staged distribution. Hospitality suppliers often bond a hotel-rollout import for staged release to individual property installation crews. Bond movements must reconcile.

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Ready to import? What to do next

JLog runs dedicated hospitality-supply freight desks with EUR.1 origin coordination, ITAC anti-dumping pre-check, FCL/LCL consolidation, and bonded-warehouse staging for multi-property hotel-group rollouts. We handle the high-breakage profile of Chinese-supplied glassware with over-pack at origin or destination, and the food-contact compliance certificate management for hospitality buyers who specify EU 1935/2004 or FDA evidence.

Get a JLog Hospitality Glassware Logistics quote — FCL/LCL consolidation, EUR.1 origin paperwork, ITAC anti-dumping pre-check, bonded warehouse staging, scheduled property delivery. → https://jlog.co.za/get-a-quote/?hs=7013.28&service=hospitality-logistics

Calculate your import duty & VAT — free JLog calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the import duty on drinking glasses into South Africa?

The import duty on other drinking glasses (non-crystal, non-glass-ceramic) under HS 7013.28 is 5% MFN per SARS Schedule No. 1, Part 1. Preferential rates of 0% apply under SADC and the EU-SADC EPA with valid origin certification. Import VAT is 15% on ATV (FOB customs value × 1.10 + duty).

Does anti-dumping apply to Chinese-origin glassware?

ITAC has issued anti-dumping determinations on chapter-70 glassware historically; check the active ITAC register at clearance time for the 7013.28 sub-line and country of origin.

My stemware is marketed as “lead-free crystal” — is that 7013.28 or 7013.41?

“Lead-free crystal” (barium or potassium oxide based) is not in the 7013.41 lead-crystal scope. SARS practice generally routes lead-free “crystal” to 7013.28 (other drinking glasses) or 7013.33 (other drinking glasses of crystal), with classification driven by the actual chemical composition rather than the marketing label. Schott Zwiesel “Tritan” glassware, for example, is lead-free and routes to 7013.28.

Does NRCS LOA apply to drinking glasses?

No. NRCS Letters of Authority cover the Compulsory Specifications for electrical and safety-critical goods. Glassware is not on the current LOA list. Hospitality buyers may ask for the supplier’s EU 1935/2004 or FDA 21 CFR food-contact compliance certificate — a procurement-side requirement, not a customs gate.

Can I claim back the VAT on an imported hotel-group glassware order?

Yes, if the importing entity is VAT-registered and the goods are used in a VAT-able enterprise (which a hotel-group is). Import VAT is reclaimed on the next VAT201.

What documents does SARS need to clear drinking glasses at 7013.28?

Commercial invoice (showing brand, pattern, unit count and unit price), origin certificate (EUR.1 / SADC / SACU) if claiming preferential entry, packing list, freight invoice, SAD500. For branded promotional glassware, hold the brand-owner authorisation letter on file.