29 January 2018
Who does this notice affect?
This notice is of interest to importers of uncooked prawns and uncooked prawn meat products and associated industry participants and retailers.
What has changed?
As of 24 January, trade in prawns and prawn products exported from the United States of America can resume. The USA’s Competent Authority (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]) Seafood Inspection Program of the United States Department of Commerce [USDC]) has provided written confirmation to the department that it can meet Australia’s enhanced import conditions.
The United States of America joins Argentina, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Denmark, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as countries that have provided written confirmation to the department that they can meet the enhanced import conditions.
The department has written to the Competent Authorities in Canada, France, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and Singapore and continues to work with these and other trading partners to ensure safe trade can resume with other countries.
Importers are responsible for ensuring that the conditions on the import permit are complied with before importing goods to Australia. This includes ensuring that there are relevant procedures in place for the exporting country to certify that the prawns are disease free and that a health certificate is supplied that attests to Australia’s enhanced import requirements. Should importers wish to seek advice about the validity of the health certification, they can contact the department.
All previously imported product that has received a notice of direction remains under the conditions outlined in the notice.
Further information
The department will provide further Industry Advice Notices once Competent Authorities confirm in writing that they can meet the enhanced import conditions.
Enhanced import conditions can be found at Biosecurity advice 2017-12.
If you require further information please call 1800 900 090 or email Imports.
Biosecurity import conditions are available on the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions database (BICON).