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WTO notification · TBT

South AfricaProposed measure, may since have been adopted

Fermented beverages – South Africa

Official title

Amendments to the Regulations of the Liquor Products Act, Act 60 of 1989 and the Wine of Origin Scheme

South Africa notified this proposed TBT measure to the WTO on 22 December 2025. The comment period closed on 20 February 2026.

Expodite puts notifications like this one in your Updates centre, matched to the HS codes of your products and the markets you export to. Opens the requirements check for South Africa and HS ⁨220600⁩ in your Expodite account.

Source: WTO ePing (opens in a new tab). Summaries by Expodite, which is independent of the WTO.

Published here:

At a glance

Products

Liquor products

HS codes
  • 22 · Beverages, spirits and vinegar
    • 220600 Cider, perry, mead, saké and other fermented beverages and mixtures of fermented beverages and non-alcoholic beverages, n.e.s. (excl. beer, wine or fresh…
Notifying member
South Africa
Status
Proposed measure, may since have been adoptedNotified as a draft on 22 December 2025. Check WTO ePing or South Africa for its current status.
Objectives
  • Consumer information, labelling
  • Protection of human health or safety
  • Reducing trade barriers and facilitating trade
Area
TBT: Technical product rulesTechnical barriers to trade
Notification type
Regular notification
Document symbol
G/TBT/N/ZAF/268
Keywords
Food standards

Key dates

Distributed by the WTO
Comment deadline
Closed on 20 February 2026
Proposed adoption
To be determined
Proposed entry into force
To be determined

How to comment

The comment period closed on 20 February 2026. You can still raise concerns about the measure with your country's WTO TBT enquiry point, quoting the document symbol G/TBT/N/ZAF/268; it can take them up with South Africa.

Find your country's enquiry point on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)

What the notification says

REGULATIONS AND WINE OF ORIGIN SCHEME AMENDMENTS The following amendments are included in the draft regulation and scheme amendments (Annexure A and B): inclusion of a definition for 'wort', amend the maximum alcohol content of kombucha and sugar fermented alcoholic beverage to make provision for the addition of a spirit, amend the definition of a sugar fermented alcoholic beverage by properly defining the use of other sugars of plant origin not provided for in the Act and the regulations to exclude existing classes of liquor products and prevent overlap with classes like cider, alcoholic fruit beverages, etc, which was the unintended consequence of the previous wording that only referred to sugar of plant origin. Clarify that a class designation on the main label must be indicated horizontally, amendment of Table 6 to update the list of additives to liquor products, including beer and other fermented beverages, make provision for the addition of salt to an alcoholic fruit beverage and the subsequent indication of flavourings on the label, deletion of the Moscato class, amendment of Table 1 to specify the cultivars that may use the cultivar descriptor Moscato, specify the conditions there-to and ensure alignment with international requirements, make provision for a definition of 'field blend' and remove the mandatory IBU requirement in the definition of beer.

Sources

Expodite writes its summary from the official record. The notification and the documents it notifies are on the WTO's own websites.

All updates from South Africa
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    Symbol: G/TBT/N/ZAF/275Comment period closed

  3. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, not in force yet

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    Symbol: G/TBT/N/ZAF/274Comment period closed

  4. WTO notificationTBTAdopted, according to its latest notice

    Re-publication for public comment of a proposed compulsory specification for safety glass and other safety glazing materials - VC 9003 (5 pages in English).

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    Symbol: G/TBT/N/ZAF/141/Rev.1/Add.2Comment period closed

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