HS code 4202.92 covers Travel bags, backpacks & cases (textile/plastic) — for example backpacks, suitcases, laptop bags. South Africa applies an indicative general customs duty of 30%, on top of which 15% import VAT is charged.
Worked example: landed cost on R100,000 of goods
| Customs value (CIF) | R100,000 |
| Customs duty (30%) | R30,000 |
| Import VAT (15% on ATV) | R21,000 |
| Estimated landed cost | R151,000 |
VAT is charged on the Added Tax Value (customs value + 10% upliftment for non-SACU imports + duties). Figures exclude clearing, freight and any anti-dumping/safeguard duty. For an exact, all-in figure use the Duty & VAT Calculator.
Where HS 4202.92 sits in the tariff
Classification is decided at heading level first. Heading 4202 is “Trunks; suit, camera, jewellery, cutlery cases; travel, tool, similar bags; wholly or mainly covered by leather, composition leather, plastic sheeting, textile materials, vulcanised fibre, paperboard”. If your product is closer to one of the neighbouring subheadings below, that line — and its duty rate — is the one that applies.
- 4202.11 Cases and containers; trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels and similar containers, with outer surface of leather or of composition leather
- 4202.12 Cases and containers; trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels and similar containers, with outer surface of plastics or of textile materials 30% duty
- 4202.19 Cases and containers; trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels and similar containers, of vulcanised fibre or of paperboard, or wholly or mainly covered with such materials or with paper
- 4202.21 Cases and containers; handbags (whether or not with shoulder strap and including those without handle), with outer surface of leather or of composition leather
- 4202.22 Cases and containers; handbags (whether or not with shoulder strap and including those without handle), with outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials
- 4202.29 Cases and containers; handbags (whether or not with shoulder strap and including those without handle), of vulcanised fibre or of paperboard, or wholly or mainly covered with such materials or with paper
- 4202.31 Cases and containers; of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag, with outer surface of leather or of composition leather
- 4202.32 Cases and containers; of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag, with outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials
- 4202.39 Cases and containers; of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag, of vulcanised fibre or of paperboard, or wholly or mainly covered with such materials or with paper
- 4202.91 Cases and containers; n.e.c. in heading 4202, with outer surface of leather or of composition leather
- 4202.92 Cases and containers; n.e.c. in heading 4202, with outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials — this page
- 4202.99 Cases and containers; n.e.c. in heading 4202, of vulcanised fibre or of paperboard, or wholly or mainly covered with such materials or with paper
Harmonised System HS 2022 nomenclature. See the whole of Chapter 42 →
Watch HS 4202.92 for changes
Duty rates, anti-dumping measures and permit rules change by Government Gazette. We’ll email you if this code’s status shifts.
Data current as of 2026-08-06. Indicative general (MFN) rate — real duty can differ at 8-digit level, under trade agreements (SADC, EU-EPA) and by Government Gazette. This is guidance, not a tariff determination under s47(9) of the Customs & Excise Act, 1964. Verify against the current SARS Tariff Book.
More codes in Chapter 42 — Leather goods; handbags, luggage & saddlery
Frequently asked questions
What is the import duty on travel bags, backpacks & cases (textile/plastic) in South Africa?
HS code 4202.92 (Travel bags, backpacks & cases (textile/plastic)) attracts an indicative general customs duty of 30% in South Africa, plus 15% import VAT charged on the Added Tax Value. Verify the exact rate in the current SARS Tariff Book.
What is the HS code for backpacks?
The Harmonised System heading for travel bags, backpacks & cases (textile/plastic) is 4202.92. South Africa uses an 8-digit tariff line based on this heading — confirm the precise 8-digit code in the SARS Tariff Book before importing.