111-2025: Khapra beetle measures: Upcoming changes to conditions for offshore treatments and certification

8 April 2025

Who does this notice affect?

This notice affects importers, freight forwarders, biosecurity industry participants and accredited persons operating under the department’s approved arrangement class 19.

What is changing?

Australia currently has emergency measures in place to manage the risk of khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) entering the country. This includes mandatory pre-border treatment of: 

• Commercial imports of high-risk plant products from a khapra beetle target risk country, and  
• Full Container Load/Full Container Consolidated (FCL/FCX) sea containers packed in a khapra beetle target risk country, when they are:
  • packed with high-risk plant products or
  • will be unpacked in a rural khapra risk postcode of Australia.  

From 28 May 2025, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) will implement changes to our requirements for pre-border khapra beetle treatments and phytosanitary certification. 

There will be three key changes:

1. Revised wording for gas permeable packaging additional declarations: 

The wording of the existing additional declarations on the phytosanitary certificate to certify compliance with gas-permeability requirements will be changed to:

• “The goods were fumigated in gas permeable packaging.” OR 
• “The goods were fumigated prior to being sealed in gas impermeable packaging.”

This requirement will apply to high-risk plant products exported from khapra beetle target-risk countries that are treated offshore with methyl bromide fumigation or controlled atmosphere treatment to manage the risk of khapra beetle.

2. New NPPO supervision requirement and additional declaration for certain providers: 

Introduction of mandatory supervision by the relevant exporting National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) for pre-border khapra beetle methyl bromide or heat treatments undertaken by providers that are listed as:

• Suspended, Under Review, or Withdrawn on Australia’s list of registered treatment providers
• Unacceptable or Under Review on Australia’s list of unregistered treatment providers. 

The phytosanitary certificate accompanying these consignments must contain the following new additional declaration to certify compliance with the requirement:

• For methyl bromide fumigations: “The monitoring of start and end point concentration readings were conducted under direct NPPO supervision, and the treatment was performed in accordance with Australia’s methyl bromide fumigation methodology as per the attached methyl bromide fumigation certificate [insert certificate number].”
• For heat treatments: “The temperature sensors were placed under direct NPPO supervision, and the treatment was performed in accordance with Australia’s heat treatment methodology as per the attached heat treatment certificate [insert certificate number].”

3. Removal of fourth concentration sampling tube for container fumigation treatments:

Methyl bromide fumigation treatments of sea containers to manage the risk of khapra beetle currently require a fourth concentration sampling tube positioned underneath the container. 

Following a review of the effectiveness of the fourth sampling tube, this requirement is being removed. This change will align khapra beetle fumigations with standard fumigation practices where a minimum of three concentration sampling tubes will be required in accordance with the Methyl bromide fumigation methodology. 

Commencement date 

These revised requirements will apply to consignments that are accompanied by phytosanitary certificates issued on or after 28 May 2025.

A transitional period will be provided for a minimum of 10 weeks. During this time, the department will identify consignments not meeting new requirements and work with the affected importer to ensure compliance for future consignments.

The transitional period completion date will be shared in a future notification and published in BICON.

Import permits

Import permits will be varied on 28 May 2025 to reflect the updated conditions. We will contact affected import permit holders to vary existing permits and provide further details. Permit holders will not be charged a fee for these changes to import permits.

Information sessions

We will be hosting an online information session about these changes in May 2025. More details, including registration information, will be shared in a future notification.

Further information

Further details on these changes are provided in the Factsheet: Khapra beetle treatment for Australian imports - upcoming changes to requirements.

All affected import conditions will be updated on BICON upon implementation on 28 May 2025.

Stay up-to-date on the implementation of these conditions by subscribing to receive Import Industry Advice Notices and BICON alerts.

Affected importers and class 19 accredited persons will receive more detail on the impact of these changes in due course.

Contact Plant Import Operations via email at imports@aff.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email 'Plant T2 - Khapra urgent actions - Phytosanitary updates') or by phone on 1800 900 090.