Following the release of the draft report, we became aware of a new detection of Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust) in Taiwan. In response, we will undertake an additional pest risk assessment and conduct a separate out-of-session public consultation process specifically for myrtle rust on the guava from Taiwan import pathway.
For more information, please read the Biosecurity Advice.
We have released a draft report for our risk analysis for fresh guava fruit (Psidium guajava) from Taiwan for human consumption.
Risk analysis:
When we do a risk analysis, we:
- review the science on pests and diseases of concern
- assess and analyse biosecurity risks
- develop proposed risk management measures, if required
- consult the public on the draft report and then review comments
- publish the final report
- verify that the country can meet the recommended risk management measures
- develop import conditions
- publish import conditions in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).
About the risk analysis
We initiated this risk analysis because Taiwan requested market access for fresh guava. Learn more about why we carry out risk analyses and our international obligations.
This risk analysis is being conducted as a review of biosecurity import requirements. This is because we conducted a preliminary assessment of the potential pests associated with guava from Taiwan and found that:
- the pests of concern are the same, or of the same pest groups, as those pests that have been assessed previously for other horticultural goods.
- there are appropriate risk management measures already established for these pests or pest groups.
Draft Report
We released the draft report on 15 July 2025 for a 60-calendar day public consultation period, closing on 13 September 2025.
We proposed that the importation of commercially produced fresh guava from Taiwan can be permitted provided they meet the biosecurity import conditions.
Pests
Seven pests associated with commercially produced fresh guava from Taiwan require risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risks to an acceptable level. These pests are:
- fruit flies: Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), fruit fly (Bactrocera occipitalis), melon fly (Zeugodacus cucurbitae) and pumpkin fruit fly (Zeugodacus tau)
- mealybugs: coffee mealybug (Planococcus lilacinus), Pacific mealybug (Planococcus minor) and Jack Beardsley mealybug (Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi).
Risk management measures
We propose a range of measures to reduce the risk of these pests arriving in Australia via the fresh guava pathway. These measures are:
- for fruit flies
- pest free areas, pest free places of production or pest free production sites, or
- fruit treatment considered to be effective against all life stages of fruit flies, such as cold disinfestation treatment.
- for mealybugs
- pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action.
Download draft report
Guava from Taiwan: biosecurity import requirements draft report (PDF 2.84 MB)
Guava from Taiwan: biosecurity import requirements draft report (DOCX 4.96 MB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Announcement
We announced the commencement of this risk analysis on 25 October 2023.
Trade
Australia-Taiwan trade
Taiwan is an important trading partner for Australia. It was Australia’s 12th largest trading partner in 2023-24, with two-way goods and services totalling $31.2 billion.
Taiwan was also Australia’s 17th largest agricultural export market by value ($1.6 billion) in 2023-24, with overall trade growing 40% in value over the past 5 years.
Guava industry in Taiwan
Taiwan produced 197,397 tonnes of guava in 2022. Production is expected to increase in the foreseeable future, following recent increases in planting area and productivity. The majority of guava produced in Australia is consumed domestically.
Taiwan has several export markets for guava, including Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, United States of America, Malaysia, China and United Arab Emirates.
Guava industry in Australia
The Australian guava industry is relatively small and there is no available data on current production volumes or the total growing area. The most significant growing regions are in Queensland, northern New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.
In 2013, the Australian industry produced an estimated 114 tonnes of guava.
Guava imports
Australia does not currently import fresh guava fruit from any country.
Next steps
We are considering all comments we received on the draft report. Your feedback is helping to inform our final report.
An additional pest risk assessment and separate out-of-session public consultation process will be conducted specifically for myrtle rust on the guava from Taiwan import pathway. We expect the additional consultation process will take place in early 2026. Stakeholders will be notified via a Biosecurity Advice. Please note that this is an indicative timeline and may be subject to change.
After the additional consultation period, we will:
- consider all feedback
- develop and publish a final report.
Your feedback during the consultation periods will help inform our final report for guava from Taiwan. We expect to release the final report in the first half of 2026. Please note that this is an indicative timeline and may be subject to change.
After verifying that Taiwan can meet the risk management measures recommended in the final report, we will develop import conditions. These will be published on our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).
Keep informed
Register as a stakeholder
Subscribe to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant via our online subscription service to receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy.
Contact us
For more information, email imports@aff.gov.au or phone 1800 900 090 (option 1, option 1).