23 August 2021
Who does this notice affect?
Importers of high-risk plant products and other stakeholders in the import and shipping industries – including vessel masters, freight forwarders, treatment providers, Biosecurity Industry Participants, importers, customs brokers, principal shipping agents, and any other operators in the sea container supply and logistics chain.
What has changed?
Phase 3 of the khapra beetle urgent actions will commence on 30 September 2021. To reduce the risk of khapra beetle entering Australia, new import conditions will apply to high-risk plant products exported on or after 30 September 2021. Import conditions will differ depending on the country of export.
Note: The new import conditions do not apply to seeds for sowing and goods that are imported for research purposes coming as low value freight (less than $1000).
Khapra beetle target risk country
High-risk plant products exported from khapra beetle target risk countries via sea and air freight will need to be treated offshore with an approved treatment option and inspected by a government official of the exporting country.
Approved treatment options are heat treatment, methyl bromide fumigation and modified atmosphere treatments (also known as controlled atmosphere treatments). The goods must be treated within 21 days of export and accompanied by valid documentation.
In addition to a treatment certificate, the goods must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate certifying treatment requirements have been met and that the goods are free from all live species of Trogoderma.
Treatment and document requirements can be found on our website.
Note: Modified atmosphere treatments are a provisional option only. As such, an import permit is required. The goods must have an import permit before they arrive in Australia. Apply for an import permit through BICON.
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the export of the container and/or the goods on arrival in Australia.
All other countries
High-risk plant products exported from all other countries via sea and air freight will need to be inspected by a government official of the exporting country and certified as free from evidence of any species of Trogoderma that are of concern to Australia (the list of Trogoderma species of concern can be found on our website).
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the export of the container and/or the goods on arrival in Australia.
Import conditions and permits
Prior to the commencement of these changes, BICON import conditions and associated import permits for impacted goods will be amended by the department to incorporate the revised conditions.
Linkage to khapra beetle requirements for sea containers
The requirements for high-risk plant products commencing 30 September 2021 are in addition to the existing khapra beetle requirements for sea containers.
This will mean that if high-risk plant products are exported in an FCL/FCX sea container from a khapra beetle target risk country, both the plant products and the sea container itself will require offshore treatment. Unless using methyl bromide, the sea container must be treated when empty (i.e. before goods are packed into the container).
Other updates
Please note, the Definition of high-risk plant products list on the website has been updated to exclude goods that are commercially processed to a powder, meal or flakes and packaged in bags less than or equal to 25kgs (such as cereal flours like semolina, wheat flour, chilli flakes and ground spices).
Further information
For questions and information related directly to offshore khapra beetle treatments, please email offshoretreatments@aff.gov.au.
All other enquiries regarding these measures, please phone 1800 900 090 or email imports@awe.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email with ‘Plant Tier 2 – khapra urgent actions’).