HS Code 7013.41.90 — Glassware of a kind used for table, kitchen, toilet, office, indoor decoration or similar purposes (excluding that of heading 70.10 or 70.18): Other | South Africa Import & Export

The import duty on lead crystal stemware and drinking glasses into South Africa under HS code 7013.41 (specifically the 7013.41.90 “other” 8-digit split, which covers stemware) is 5% MFN per SARS Schedule No. 1, Part 1, with 15% VAT on the ATV (FOB customs value × 1.10 + duty). A SADC Certificate of Origin or an EUR.1 movement certificate under the SADC-EU EPA brings the duty to zero. Note: 7013.41.10 (machine-made plates, cups and saucers of lead crystal) sits at a higher 15% MFN — classify carefully at the 8-digit level.

Customs Duty Rate

The customs duty is set at the 8-digit tariff line and ranges from 5% to 15% — machine-made lead crystal (7013.41.10) attracts 15% MFN; other (hand-blown and unmarked) (7013.41.90) attracts 5% MFN. 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 7013.41 actually covers

HS 7013.41 covers drinking glasses of lead crystal, intended for table, dining and bar use. The stemware line: wine glasses, champagne flutes, brandy snifters, whisky tumblers, sherry copitas, decanters used at the table, port glasses — provided they are manufactured from lead crystal (typically defined as containing 24% or more lead oxide by weight, per EU Directive 69/493/EEC, the most widely cited industry standard).

The chapter-70 split that matters: 7013.41 lead crystal drinking glasses; 7013.42 non-lead-crystal drinking glasses (made of glass with linear coefficient of expansion not exceeding 5 × 10⁻⁶ per kelvin — “borosilicate-grade”); 7013.49 other drinking glasses (ordinary soda-lime glass). The lead-crystal qualifier matters because lead crystal commands premium retail prices and has historically attracted differentiated duty treatment, though the live page shows a 5% MFN headline that is the same across recent SARS schedule readings of the chapter-70 stemware sub-band. (At the 8-digit national level, splits may differ for hand-cut vs machine-pressed crystal, decorated vs undecorated, and value-density thresholds.)

The premium lead-crystal stemware market is dominated by named European makers: Riedel (Austrian, the dominant global player on wine stemware), Baccarat (French), Lalique (French), Saint-Louis (French), Waterford (Irish, premium hospitality and gift), Daum (French), Orrefors (Swedish, mid-premium), Schott Zwiesel (German, technically borosilicate-grade titanium crystal — classification borderline). The mass-market stemware sub-segment from Czech (Bohemia), Chinese and Turkish factories is mostly non-lead-crystal and classifies under 7013.42 or 7013.49.

What 7013.41 specifically excludes: glass tumblers without stem in soda-lime glass (7013.49), kitchen glassware not for drinking (7013.10), laboratory glassware (7017), and antique crystal glassware over 100 years old (9706.00).

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SA importer profile

The 7013.41 import trade clusters into four buyer-types:

• Hotel and fine-dining hospitality procurement — premium hotel groups (Mount Nelson, One&Only, Saxon, Singita lodges), Michelin-aspiring restaurants, country clubs. Riedel is the dominant brand for serious wine programmes; Baccarat and Waterford appear in luxury hotel suite stocking.
• Premium homeware and gift retail — @home Living, Hertex Homeware, specialist wine-shop retail (Norman Goodfellows). Per-piece value high; volumes are moderate.
• Wine industry and sommelier supply — SA wine producers and tasting rooms buying Riedel and similar varietal-specific stemware for tasting programmes and producer hospitality.
• Private collector and gift import — individual buyers importing a single Baccarat or Lalique decanter or wine-glass set as a high-end gift or collector purchase. Often through a Cape Town specialist retailer’s direct-import service rather than self-import.

Air freight share is moderate (~20% air, 80% sea). Stemware is fragile but tolerates well-packed sea freight at low breakage rates with proper packing (foam dividers, individual tissue-wrap, double-wall corrugated boxes inside palletised stack). Air freight is reserved for urgent hotel-opening stocking and very high-value individual pieces.

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Import procedure — step by step

1. Confirm lead-crystal status. 7013.41 requires lead oxide content of 24%+ by weight (per the common EU 69/493/EEC industry standard). The supplier should provide a lead-content declaration on the commercial invoice or in a separate certificate. Borosilicate-grade “titanium crystal” (Schott Zwiesel) and lead-free crystalline glass classify under 7013.42, not 7013.41.
2. Negotiate origin paperwork. EU and UK suppliers (Riedel-Austria via Riedel Group EU registration, Baccarat-France, Lalique-France, Saint-Louis-France, Waterford-Ireland, Orrefors-Sweden, Daum-France) issue EUR.1 movement certificates routinely under the SADC-EU EPA.
3. Lead-content compliance for food contact. SA food-contact lead-content standards apply to glassware intended for table use. EU 69/493/EEC and FDA-equivalent certificates from the supplier satisfy SA-side compliance. Specific lead-leach concerns on cut-crystal decanters (where wine or spirits sit for extended periods in contact with cut surfaces) are increasingly raised; retained certificates are operational discipline.
4. Apply for SARS Importer Code (CCN). ITAC import permit not typically required for commercial-volume chapter-70 entries.
5. Packing and freight specification. Stemware ships in original supplier packaging (each piece in moulded-card or foam cradle within decorated retail box) inside double-wall corrugated outer boxes, palletised with shrink-wrap and edge-protection. Sea-freight insurance covers breakage typically at 1–3% of consignment value as deductible.
6. SAD500 preparation. Box 33: 7013.41 (with 8-digit national split). Box 31: “Lead crystal drinking glasses / stemware, [n] pieces, supplier model [code], lead content 24%+, country of origin”. Attach EUR.1 / SADC certificate and lead-content declaration to the EDI submission.
7. Pay duty and VAT. Without preference: 5% duty + 15% VAT compounded — relatively low for chapter-70 trade. With EUR.1 / SADC: 15% VAT only.
8. Receive and inspect. Breakage inspection on arrival is standard; replacement claim against the supplier or insurance is part of normal trade. JLog’s homeware warehouse can run breakage reconciliation and damaged-piece pickup for insurance reporting.

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SAD500 worked example — Riedel stemware from Austria

Scenario: a Mount Nelson hotel sommelier programme imports Riedel varietal-specific stemware from Austria (12 cases × 24 wine glasses, mixed varietal-specific stems). Invoice EUR 18,500, sea-freight EUR 1,200, in-transit insurance EUR 350. At R20.20 per EUR the CIF is R405,210. Riedel (EU-registered) issues an EUR.1 movement certificate.

The 5% MFN rate keeps total uplift relatively low (~26%) versus chapter-94 or chapter-69 trade. The EUR.1 saves a further ~R23,000 — meaningful at scale for a high-volume hospitality programme, but the bigger commercial lever on stemware imports is breakage management, not preferential origin.

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SARS pitfalls — what gets stemware entries audit-trailed

Lead-crystal vs non-lead-crystal misdeclaration. Suppliers occasionally describe “premium crystalline glass” or “fine titanium crystal” as “lead crystal” in marketing copy when the technical lead content is below the 24% threshold. SARS Customs and downstream auditors may test samples in dispute. Misdeclaration risks reclassification within chapter-70 — potentially to a higher-rate 8-digit split — and the standard 10% under-payment penalty plus compounded VAT. The defence is the supplier’s lead-content certificate matching the SAD500 narrative.

Classification — drinking glasses vs decanters vs decorative crystal. A Baccarat decanter sits in 7013.41 if it’s a table decanter used at meals; if it’s a decorative crystal piece intended for display rather than functional use, SARS may push reclassification to 7013.99 (other table or kitchen glassware) or 7018 (decorative crystal). The supplier’s catalogue description and the importer’s intended use matter. Decanter-form pieces that primarily function as decorative crystal art (Lalique decanters with sculptural artistic forms) sit in a different sub-band.

Anti-dumping risk on Chinese stemware. ITAC has reviewed Chinese-origin stemware imports periodically. As of May 2026, no anti-dumping duty is active on HS 7013.41. ITAC’s active chapter-70 trade-remedy work is on clear float glass (HS 7005, from Saudi Arabia, UAE, China and India — 10–45%), not table/kitchen glassware. Worth re-checking the register at order placement since investigations open and close, but currently the lead-crystal stemware trade is duty-clean of trade-remedy overlays.

Royalty add-backs on premium-brand stemware. A SA distributor importing branded Riedel, Baccarat or Waterford ware that pays a separate brand-royalty to the parent in addition to the per-unit invoice carries an Article 8 WTO Valuation risk. SARS Customs may add the royalty to the dutiable value. The defence is a clean distributor agreement that prices the goods at full transfer value, or a TP study supporting the existing structure.

Breakage reconciliation and duty on broken stock. Like porcelain tableware, duty is owed on the as-imported value at port — broken pieces are part of the consignment. Insurance recovers value but the duty paid is a sunk cost. Sea-freight breakage at 3–6% on poorly-packed stemware consignments represents real money. Better to ship in original supplier packaging and accept the supplier’s spec rather than re-pack en-route.

Food-contact lead compliance — downstream. SA Department of Health and consumer-protection regulations on food-contact lead content may surface in retail. Lead-crystal stemware is permitted (no general ban), but specific use restrictions (e.g. extended storage of acidic beverages in lead-crystal decanters) are subject to consumer-side advisory positions. The audit-pack lesson: retain the supplier’s food-contact compliance certificate.

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Ready to import? What to do next

JLog handles premium glassware import logistics for SA hospitality procurement, homeware retail, wine industry and gift trade. We coordinate with European glassware forwarders for protective packing, run dedicated container booking, manage EUR.1 certificate vetting at the clearing-agent stage, handle breakage reconciliation and insurance claim management, and deliver pick-and-pack to hotel and retail destinations.

Get a JLog quote — Premium Glassware & Stemware service — sea/air consolidation, EUR.1 certificate vetting, breakage reconciliation, hospitality and retail last-mile. → https://jlog.co.za/get-a-quote/?hs=7013.41&service=glassware

Calculate your import duty & VAT — free JLog calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the import duty on lead crystal stemware into South Africa?

The import duty on HS 7013.41 (lead crystal drinking glasses) is 5% MFN at the 7013.41.90 “other” 8-digit subheading per SARS Schedule No. 1, Part 1, plus 15% VAT on the ATV (FOB customs value × 1.10 + duty). The sibling subheading 7013.41.10 (machine-made plates, cups and saucers of lead crystal) is 15% MFN — so classify carefully at the 8-digit level.

Can I reduce the duty using a preferential trade agreement?

Yes. EU and UK suppliers issuing an EUR.1 movement certificate under the SADC-EU EPA bring the duty to 0%. Most premium stemware brands (Riedel, Baccarat, Lalique, Waterford, Orrefors) are EU-registered and issue EUR.1 routinely.

What counts as “lead crystal” for HS 7013.41 classification?

Industry-standard definition (EU 69/493/EEC) is 24%+ lead oxide content by weight. Lower-lead “crystalline” glass and lead-free titanium-crystalline glass (e.g. Schott Zwiesel) classify under 7013.42 or 7013.49, not 7013.41.

Are there active anti-dumping duties on Chinese crystal glassware?

No active anti-dumping duty on HS 7013.41 per ITAC’s May 2026 register. ITAC’s chapter-70 trade-remedy work is on clear float glass (HS 7005), not table/kitchen glassware. Worth re-checking at order placement since investigations open and close, but stemware itself is currently clean.

Do I need a food-contact compliance certificate for stemware?

Best practice is yes. The supplier’s EU 69/493/EEC or FDA-equivalent certificate satisfies SA food-contact compliance for retained-record purposes.

What about antique crystal glassware?

Crystal stemware and decanters more than 100 years old at the date of importation classify under HS 9706.00 (antiques, 0% duty). Age-evidence documentation essential (dealer letter, auction provenance, maker’s mark with verified period).