13 January 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Importers and brokers who have imported or plan to import goods containing or derived from foot and mouth disease (FMD)-susceptible species (including cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, giraffe, elephants, camelids (alpacas, llamas and camel)) to Australia from Germany since 14 November 2024.
What is happening?
Following notification from Germany on 10 January 2025 to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is working to assess the biosecurity risk to Australia and what this might mean for import conditions for the following impacted commodities:
- Dairy that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
- Personal dairy and meat food items imported as passenger personal effects or through the mail into Australia from Germany.
- Reproductive material derived from cattle, sheep, goats, zoo bovids, giraffe or elephants sourced or exported from Germany.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
- Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
- Laboratory goods containing bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
To help mitigate the risk to Australia, Germany has been removed from the list of FMD-free countries.
When happens next?
The department has amended its FMD free list to reflect Germany’s new FMD status. Any commercial dairy consignment or personal quantities of dairy and meat food items from Germany will be assessed upon arrival in Australian territory and potentially subject to biosecurity measures.
Over the coming days the department will undertake a detailed assessment of all traded goods from Germany and may introduce additional import restrictions for commodities, including pet food, stock feed, laboratory goods and reproductive material.
More information will be made available via BICON alerts, industry advice notices and other official communication channels as this risk assessment progresses.
The department will also directly contact with any permit holders or permit applicants impacted by this outbreak to advise of any potential changes to import conditions that may be required to protect Australia’s livestock production industries.
Goods in transit – any goods in transit will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and potentially subject to biosecurity measures. Assessment may include consideration of whether the product was sourced, manufactured or exported before 14 November 2024. Goods that do not pose an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk may be released from biosecurity control.
However, goods that are assessed as having an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction. Importers and brokers that are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging for the export of any product to Australia
Further information
More information about FMD can be found on the department’s website.
Please contact the department by phone 1800 900 090 or email to imports@aff.gov.au if you have any questions.