New excise duties on tyres ‘blow to road safety’

This as motorists will be expected to pay a higher price for tyres, which will result in more people using tyres that are in poor condition because they cannot afford the new prices.

Earlier this month government announced the addition of a 38.33% excise duty on tyres imported from China.

The increase in excise duties comes after the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference argued to the International Trade Administration Commission that tyres were being imported to South Africa at unfairly low prices.

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AA's Layton Beard says the decision on increased excise duties needs to be reversed as already financially-stretched consumers will, ultimately, bear the brunt of the decision. 

"What's going to happen in our view is that consumers who are going to replace tyres on their vehicles because their tyres are balding or running soft are simply not going to be able to afford it and are either going to delay having to do that or are simply not going to do it at all. 

“That is going to create problems down the line, tyres are going to burst and this is going to create havoc in the sense that not only are the drivers of those vehicles going to be in danger but road users as well.”