The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources runs a Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme (formerly known as the Plant Product Pathway Q-ruler and the Continuous Sampling Plan) for the importation of selected plant products to Australia.
The scheme rewards importers of these products who demonstrate consistent compliance with Australia’s biosecurity requirements with a risk-based inspection rate. Compliant importers benefit from the CBIS through smoother clearance of goods at the border and reduced costs.
To qualify for risk-based inspection under the CBIS, importers will need to:
- import an eligible product under an appropriate tariff (see tables below)
- lodge the entry in line mode
- meet import conditions
- meet the requirements for repeated compliance.
Eligible plant products
Since the implementation of the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme in July 2013, the following plant products have since been added to the scheme:
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Dried fruit and herbs
| Product | Tariff code | Date added to CBIS | Qualification number | Risk-based inspection rate |
|---|
| Allspice of the genus Pimenta (dried, neither crushed nor ground) | 09042100 | July 2016 | 5 | 10% |
| Apples (dried) | 08133000 | November 2015 | 5 | 10% |
| Apricots (dried) | 08131000 | July 2013 | 10 | 10% |
| Capsicum and chilli of the genus Capsicum (dried, neither crushed nor ground) | 09042100 | July 2016 | 5 | 10% |
| Coconut (desiccated) | 08011100 | November 2015 | 5 | 10% |
| Dates (dried) | 08041000 | July 2013 | 10 | 10% |
| Grapes (dried) | 08062000 | August 2014 | 5 | 10% |
| Pepper of the genus Piper (dried, neither crushed or ground) | 09041100 | July 2016 | 5 | 10% |
| Prunes (dried) | 08132000 | November 2015 | 5 | 10% |
| Saffron | 09102000 | July 2016 | 3 | 10% |
Fresh fruit
| Product | Tariff code | Date added to CBIS | Qualification number | Risk-based inspection rate |
|---|
| Cherries of the species Prunus axiom (fresh, from the USA only) | 08092900 | June 2017 | 5 | 25% |
| Dates (from the USA only) | 08041000 | July 2013 | 10 | 10% |
| Chilled durian segments (from Thailand and Malaysia only) | 08106000 | May 2017 | 3 | 10% |
| Permitted stone fruits including apricots, peaches, nectarines, and plums (fresh, from the USA only) | 08091000, 08093000, 08094000, | June 2017 | 5 | 25% |
| Avocado (fresh, from New Zealand only) | 08044000 | October 2017 | 10 | 50% |
| Lemons and limes (fresh, from the USA only) | 08055000 | November 2017 | 5 | 25% |
Nuts
| Product | Tariff code | Date added to CBIS | Qualification number | Risk-based inspection rate |
|---|
| Almonds (raw, shell removed) | 08021200 | July 2015 | 5 | 50% |
| Brazil nuts (raw, shell removed) | 08012200 | July 2015 | 5 | 50% |
| Cashews (raw) | 08013 | August 2014 | 5 | 50% |
| Hazelnuts (raw, shell removed) | 08022200 | July 2015 | 5 | 50% |
| Macadamias (raw, shell removed) | 08026200 | July 2015 | 5 | 50% |
| Pistachios (raw, shell removed) | 08025200 | July 2015 | 5 | 50% |
| Walnuts (raw, shell removed) | 08023200 | July 2015 | 5 | 50% |
Grains and seeds
| Product | Tariff code | Date added to CBIS | Qualification number | Risk-based inspection rate |
|---|
| Green coffee beans (for processing) | 09011 | July 2013 | 10 | 50% |
| Malted grains | 1107 | June 2015 | 5 | 10% |
| Sesame seed (hulled) | 12074000 | July 2013 | 10 | 50% |
Additional plant products are currently being assessed for the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme, with the aim to add more products in the near future.
Qualifying for risk-based inspection rates
Importers of products on the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme are eligible to qualify for the risk-based inspection rates outlined in the above tables. The scheme is applied to eligible products through the Agriculture Import Management System (AIMS) and currently does not require any additional action by importers and brokers.
To qualify for the risk-based inspection rate, importers must initially pass a defined number of consecutive document assessments and inspections on the eligible products.
This qualification number ranges from 3 to 10 (see tables above), depending on the risks associated with the commodity.
Exclusions
Mandatory inspections are still required for all consignments that are:
- lodged in container mode
- processed via the Automatic Entry Processing (AEP) scheme
- restricted due to other system rules or biosecurity concerns (see Industry Advice Notice 50-2018 for further details)
- have failed an onshore inspection.
Risk-based inspection rates
Once an importer has qualified under the scheme, the compliance of any future consignments will continue to be monitored under risk-based inspection rates. The risk-based inspection rates range from 10 to 50 % frequency depending on the:
- commodity type (see tables above)
- end use
- biosecurity risk posed by the commodity
- compliance history of the pathway and the importer
Risk-based inspection rates are based on the biosecurity risk currently posed by the commodities and may be subject to change at any time.
The inspection rate is applied as a ‘probability of inspection’ individually to each eligible line within a consignment by the department’s entry management systems. This means that an individual line may be selected to be inspected or not inspected. For example, if the inspection rate is 10 per cent for that product then every line has a 10 per cent chance of being directed for an inspection.
If non-compliance is detected during the inspection or documentation assessment, the importer will return to 100 per cent intervention until they have once again demonstrated compliance and met the number of r inspections required to re-qualify for the risk-based inspection rate.
Status of CBIS consignments in Integrated Cargo System
Customs brokers and freight forwarders importing under the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme may need to be aware of how the Integrated Cargo System will display status for a CBIS consignment.
Entries that contain a line of goods eligible for the CBIS that have been selected for inspection will automatically switch to a “CONDCLEAR” status in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) immediately after the entry is lodged.
The status changes before a documentation assessment has been conducted and before details of the AIMS directions associated with the consignment are sent to clients. The status will change to CONDCLEAR even if other lines in the entry are also subject to biosecurity control.
The CONDCLEAR status means that clearance remains subject to biosecurity conditions. The CONDCLEAR status allows the consignment to be moved to an appropriate approved arrangements site for inspection once the biosecurity direction has been issued, but no part of a consignment with a CONDCLEAR status can be released from biosecurity control until the status is changed to CLEAR.
Details of the conditions associated with a CONDCLEAR status will be emailed out as AIMS directions. A CLEAR status will only be obtained once the biosecurity concerns for all lines have been addressed through documentation assessments, inspections and/or treatments (as required).
Note: Lemons and limes from the USA, cherries and stone fruit from the USA, and New Zealand avocados are processed under the CBIS using a different system tool. Therefore they will not automatically switch to the CONDCLEAR status.
Further information
For more information on the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme you can email Imports (Tier 2 -Plant CBIS) or telephone 1800 900 090.