30 April 2024
Who does this notice affect?
All customs brokers, importers, self-reporting importers, freight forwarders of goods AUD $1,000 or less in value.
What has changed?
On 2 April 2024 the department released Import industry advice notice 58-2024 notifying stakeholders of the intended commencement of a new biosecurity cost recovery charge for the Self-Assessed Clearance pathway from 1 July 2024. Since the release of this notification, further key elements of the charge have been finalised by the department.
It is vital cargo reporters participating in the SAC pathway understand their responsibilities in relation to the legislation associated with the charge, and the implications for their business.
Key information:
- Payment liability: any reporting party who lodges (makes) a SAC declaration in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) will be liable to pay the charge, where attached to an import.
- The proposed legislative charge rate will be 36 cents per SAC declaration.
- The charge will be applied to all SAC declarations (short form, long form, and cargo report SAC declarations).
- The charge will be remitted directly to DAFF by cargo reporters on a quarterly in arrears basis.
- An entity that lodges less than 278 SAC declarations for a given quarterly period (accumulated charges totalling less than $100), will be exempt from paying the charges for that quarterly period.
This charge will be subject to penalties and sanctions in line with existing cost recovery charge provisions in the Biosecurity Act 2015 and related regulations and the department’s charging guidelines.
To ensure that your business is prepared for the implementation of the cost recovery charge and to avoid such penalties, please consider actioning the following items:
- Update your contact details with DAFF – email the SAC cost recovery team with the relevant contact details for your business at SACcostrecovery@aff.gov.au.
- Review internal systems - ensure the appropriate record keeping, and payment facilities are in place to track the number of SAC declarations lodged and received to understand your quarterly liability in order to make payments directly to DAFF.
- Inform relevant stakeholders - ensure that your relevant internal and external stakeholders are aware of their responsibilities relating to the charge.
Further information
Future updates on the SAC Cost Recovery Charge will be shared on the DAFF website and via import industry advice notices.
If you have any questions, please email SACcostrecovery@aff.gov.au.