20 November 2020
Who does this notice affect?
Importers and customs brokers associated with importing the following:
- Fresh avocados from New Zealand
- Fresh blueberries from New Zealand
- Fresh capsicums and peppers from New Zealand
- Fresh stone fruit and cherries from New Zealand and the United States of America
- Fresh oranges from the United States of America
- Fresh lemons and limes from the United States of America
- Fresh table grapes from the United States of America
What has changed?
Fresh produce from New Zealand and the United States that were previously eligible for the Offshore Pre-shipment Inspection (OPI) program, and are now eligible for the CBIS, have an associated community protection (CP) profile question asking whether the goods have undergone offshore pre-shipment inspection. Due to the cessation of the OPI program, this profile question will be removed.
In addition, fresh oranges and fresh lemon and limes from the United States of America have tariff classifications that include both fresh and dried goods (0805.10.00 and 0805.50.00, respectively). As only fresh goods lodged under these tariff classifications are eligible for the CBIS, brokers or importers will be referred to a CP profile question to confirm whether there is accompanying documentation to indicate that the goods are fresh:
“Biosecurity: Are the goods accompanied by an appropriate phytosanitary certificate to demonstrate that they are fresh?”
This update has been made to assist broker and importers easily determine what the department considers as ‘appropriate documentation’ to demonstrate that goods are fresh, which is currently referred to in an existing CP profile question for fresh lemons and limes from the United States of America.
These changes will come into effect 30 November 2020.
Further information
More information about CBIS commodities and their eligibility can be found on the department’s CBIS webpage.
If you have any further questions, please email Imports (Tier 2- CBIS) or telephone 1800 900 090.