Egg exporters in Australia must meet requirements set by Australian export laws and by the importing country.
New exporters — read our step-by-step guide to exporting eggs and egg products.
Types of goods
You need to understand how your product is defined by law, as export requirements differ between products.
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Prescribed goods
Any whole egg or egg product:
- manufactured in Australia intended for human consumption; and
- where the major ingredient is egg (includes whole eggs and products); and
- that is made from chicken eggs.
Except products destined for New Zealand, which are considered to be non-prescribed.
Examples include:
- whole eggs
- liquid egg (whole, yolk only, white only)
- dried egg (whole, yolk only, white only)
- frozen egg (whole, yolk only, white only)
- cooked egg products (such as scrambled, boiled, pickled).
If you plan to export prescribed goods, you must register with us as an exporter. You must use only registered establishments.
Organic products are also prescribed. Check requirements to export products as organic.
Non-prescribed goods
Examples include:
- products obtained from a chicken for animal consumption
- products obtained from a chicken for human consumption where egg is
- not the major ingredient (by weight or volume)
- an ingredient but is not described or represented as being an egg product (such as mayonnaise, pavlova)
- from an animal other than a chicken, including ducks, emu, quail.
You do not need to register with us to export non-prescribed goods.
In some cases a non-prescribed good becomes a prescribed egg product when an importing country requires export registration and certification.
Check our Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) and talk to your importer.
Importing country requirements
You must meet all requirements set by your importing country.
Before you export:
- check our Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) for any conditions relating to your goods
- talk to your importing country authority through your importer.
Registration
You must register with us to export prescribed egg products.
Register as an exporter through our Electronic Export Documentation System (EXDOC). This is how you link your details to documents requested through the system.
Exporter responsibilities
As an exporter you are the person or company legally responsible for meeting all export requirements for the products you are shipping from Australia.
Your company name is on all export documents. You make (or have in your possession) all declarations that the products:
- are fit for export
- meet all importing country requirements.
Exporter obligations
Exporters have an obligation to ensure prescribed goods are eligible for export prior to the goods been exported. It is also the exporter’s obligation to ensure the correct export certification is obtained and what will happen when prescribed goods are exported without a valid documentation. A fact sheet has been developed and can be downloaded to help you in understanding these obligations.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Your obligations as a registered exporter PDF  |
3 | 1.2 MB |
Your obligations as a registered exporter DOCX  |
3 | 77 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Export registered establishments
You must use an establishment registered with us to source, prepare and store your goods.
Products must only be transferred to registered establishments to be eligible for export.
Exceptions
Export registration and documentation is not required for goods:
- exported to New Zealand
- legally imported into Australia and exported with no further processing or repackaging.
You may also be exempt if you are exporting:
- less than 10kg in solid form or 10L in liquid form per consignment
- non-prescribed goods where the importing country does not require registration.
Always check Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) for specific country requirements. Talk to your importer for any further details.
Export documentation
Consignments of prescribed goods must have a valid export permit in place before being exported from Australia. An export permit enables product to leave Australia and a health certificate enables the product to enter the importing country (not required for all countries). You can make a Request for Permit (RFP) through EXDOC.
You must include information such as:
- product type, for example whole eggs, dried egg powder, liquid egg yolk
- cut code, used to identify your goods
- Australian Harmonised Export Commodity Code (AHECC).
Check the codes for your products.
You must confirm that you have:
- a declaration of compliance for each product from the manufacturer
- any other documentation, such as test results
- a transfer declaration, if your product moves between establishments.
The manufacturer may give you documentation to meet importing country requirements. If they don't, you must prove to us that your goods meet requirements.
After we approve your RFP, we will send you an export permit. All shipments leaving Australia must have a permit. You will also receive a health certificate, if required by the importing country.
The export of prescribed goods without a valid export permit is a breach of these requirements and treated very seriously and sanctions may be applied to companies.
Organic products
To export organic or biodynamic produce, you must have an organic produce certificate. You will only get this if you sourced your products from a certified supplier.
You must have a certificate for each shipment.
Request your organic produce certificate from an approved certifying organisation.