goods must detail country of origin
20 April 2007

All goods and clothing will from now on have labels indicating their country of origin, the department of trade and industry said on Thursday.

The Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa signed in the regulations following misleading labels which passed off imported goods as made in South Africa. The regulations came into effect on Saturday, 14 April.

"In terms of the regulations, business has an obligation to ensure that consumers are provided with information to enable them to make informed choices and decisions when buying such merchandise or goods", said department spokesperson Kgothatso Chuene.

The labels must be clearly written in English and should also indicate if any imported material was used in goods made in SA.

The department, the SA Revenue Services (Sars) and the SA Bureau of Standards will ensure enforcement of the regulations.

Sars will do routine inspections and anyone who contravenes the regulations faces a fine of up to R5000 or up to three years in jail.

Sapa, www.business.iafrica.com