11 December 2020
Who does this notice affect?
Importers and brokers of:
- Fresh truss and loose tomatoes from New Zealand
- Fresh persimmons from New Zealand
- Fresh mandarins from the United States
- Dried permitted species of mushrooms and truffles
What has changed?
The department is incorporating a number of new commodities onto the Compliance Based Intervention Scheme (CBIS). This change is scheduled to take effect on 18 December 2020.
The CBIS rewards importers of these products who demonstrate consistent compliance with Australia’s biosecurity requirements with risk-based inspection rates. Compliant importers benefit from the CBIS through smoother clearance of goods at the border and reduced regulatory costs.
The change may require you to lodge some commodities with an AQIS Commodity Code (ACC) in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS). Information about lodging eligible consignments with an ACC will be specified in the relevant commodity cases in BICON as well as being listed on the department CBIS webpage. The relevant BICON cases and the department CBIS webpage will be updated closer to the scheduled date of the system changes.
In addition, fresh mandarins from the United States of America have a tariff classification that include both fresh and dried goods (0805.21.00). As only fresh goods lodged under this tariff classification will be 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?”
What do I need to do?
Importers and brokers should continue to lodge documentation to the department as per their current practice (via COLS). When a consignment is lodged in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) under a tariff that has an associated ACC, you must enter the ACC in order to become eligible for the CBIS. Consignments lodged without an ACC will be ineligible to qualify for the CBIS.
Example of ICS screen
Further information
More information about CBIS commodities and their eligibility can be found on the departments CBIS webpage.
If you have any further questions, please email Imports (Tier 2- CBIS) or telephone 1800 900 090.