Date of issue: 9 October 2025
Date of effect: 19 October 2025
Attention
- Industry bodies, Dairy Export Industry Consultative Committee
- Registered dairy export manufacturing establishments
- Registered exporters, freight forwarders, Automated Export Permit Issuer (AEPI) users
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Central and Regional offices
Purpose
To advise stakeholders that the department will remove the certificate review requirement for all dairy export certification raised with manual product descriptions. This will allow exporters, and those raising documentation on their behalf, to submit requests for exports (REXs) in the Next Export Documentation (NEXDOC) system to obtain dairy export certification without departmental review of manual product descriptions before finalisation.
Summary of Key Points
- The removal of the departmental certificate review will apply to all dairy export certification.
- Exporters, and those raising export documentation in NEXDOC on their behalf, will be able to submit REXs without a departmental review of manual product descriptions before finalisation.
- Exporters remain responsible for ensuring that the manual product descriptions and relevant export permit supporting documents:
- accurately reflect the prescribed dairy products being exported
- comply with all legislative and regulatory requirements
- do not contain prohibited claims (e.g. “organic”, “Halal”, “biodynamic”).
- The department will continue to conduct verification checks to ensure compliance. Non-compliance may impact an exporter’s ability to raise export documentation.
- In most cases, exporters, and those raising export documentation in NEXDOC on their behalf, who are AEPI users and utilise remote printing, will be able to obtain certification when they raise their REX, without departmental intervention.
Next steps – for quicker certification
Removal of the requirement for departmental certificate review
- The department will remove the requirement for certificate review for all dairy exporters (those using the NEXDOC portal) and dairy client groups (those using software) in NEXDOC, effective from Sunday 19 October 2025.
- You are not required to do anything regarding this change.
- This change will not affect your process for applying for an export permit or printing certification.
Become an Automated Export Permit Issuer (AEPI)
- In most cases, AEPI users can self-authorise export permits. Exporters using the NEXDOC portal and third-party software users can all apply to become an AEPI.
- Note: There are some instances where the department must still authorise export permits. For example, exports to countries with specific requirements, such as the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), or for goods listed on the department’s prohibited goods list (PGL).
- To become an AEPI - please refer to the NEXDOC - How to apply for Automated Export Permit Issuer (AEPI) status user guide on the department’s website: NEXDOC help for detailed guidance.
Print in your own office - Remote Printing Functionality
- To make the certification process faster and easier, exporters are encouraged to print their own certification in their office using the ‘MyPrint’ function in NEXDOC.
- This reduces delays, avoids unnecessary visits to regional offices, and gives you full control over when your certification is generated.
- You can request ‘MyPrint’ permission when registering as an exporter or confirm your access at any time under the ‘Account’ tab in the NEXDOC portal.
- For detailed guidance, see the NEXDOC - Manage Your Details user guide on the department’s website: NEXDOC help.
Further information
Contact dairyeggsfish@aff.gov.au if you have any queries.
The information provided in this advice is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.