Dairy exporters

Dairy 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 dairy products.

Types of goods

You need to understand how your product is defined by law, as export requirements differ between products.

Any dairy product:

manufactured in Australia intended for human consumption; and
where the major ingredient is dairy.

Except products destined for New Zealand, which are considered to be non-prescribed.

Examples include:

butter
cheese
cream
dairy based dips
milk, milk powder and milk powder blends (including infant formula, protein or whey powders)
yoghurt.

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.

Examples include:

products obtained from a cow for animal consumption
products obtained from a cow for human consumption where dairy is
not the major ingredient (by weight or volume), or
the major ingredient, but it is not like a prescribed dairy product (e.g. ice-cream, cheesecake, custard, colostrum)
from an animal other than a cow, including sheep, goat, buffalo, camel
any dairy product destined for New Zealand.

You do not need to register with us to export non-prescribed goods.

In some cases, a non-prescribed good becomes a prescribed dairy product when an importing country requires export registration and certification.

Check our Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) and talk to your importer.

Find out more about non-prescribed goods.

Importing country requirements

You must meet all requirements set by your importing country.

Before you export:

check Micor for any conditions relating to your goods
talk to your importing country authority through your importer.

Some countries set extra conditions for goods imported to their country. Check our advice on:

Export quotas

Some of our trade agreements include quotas with reduced tariff rates for certain products. In some cases, we manage these export quotas.

You may be eligible if you export to:

European Union
United States of America

Check if export quotas apply to your goods.

Registration

You must register with us to export prescribed dairy products.

Register as an exporter through the Next Export Documentation System (NEXDOC). 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.

Obligations as a registered exporter

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact us for help.

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 per consignment. Some importing countries (i.e. the European Union) require export documentation regardless of the quantity. Exporters are encouraged to liaise with their importers prior to export.
non-prescribed goods where the importing country does not require registration.

Always check 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 Export (REX) through NEXDOC.

You must include information such as:

product type, for example milk, butter, cheese, infant formula
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 REX, we will send you an export permit. All shipments leaving Australia must have an export permit. You will also receive a health certificate, if required by the importing country.

Fees and charges apply.

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 and bio-dynamic products

To export organic or bio-dynamic goods, you must have an Organic Goods Certificate. You will only get this if you sourced your products from a supplier certified under Australia’s organic exports regulatory framework.

You must have an Organic Goods Certificate for each shipment. An Organic Goods Certificate must be requested from an approved certifying body, prior to the export of the goods.

Further information about exporting organic and bio-dynamic goods can be found on the exporting organic or bio-dynamic goods page.

Use of the terms 'organic' and ‘bio-dynamic’ on dairy export certificates

The department does not allow the term 'organic' or ‘bio-dynamic’ to be included in the product description on prescribed dairy export certificates.

Prescribed dairy export certificates certify that products meet Australia's legislative dairy export requirements. They do not certify a product's organic or bio-dynamic status.

If you are exporting dairy products labelled as organic or bio-dynamic, you must obtain a separate Organic Goods Certificate through an approved certifying body. This certificate is in addition to a prescribed dairy export certificate. Please refer to the exporting organic or bio-dynamic goods page for more information about exporting organic and bio-dynamic goods and Organic Goods Certificates.

The details in your Organic Goods Certificate must be correct at the time of issue and match all other export certificates.

For information on exporting organic or bio-dynamic goods, contact the Organic Exports Program at OrganicExports@aff.gov.au.

Exception – Vietnam

For exports to Vietnam, the term 'organic' may be included in the product description on a prescribed dairy export certificate where required to meet Vietnam's import requirements.

To request the inclusion of the term 'organic', you must upload a valid Organic Goods Certificate for each consignment. The department may review the certificate as part of the export documentation verification process.

This exception applies only to exports to Vietnam. It does not apply to any other export market unless advised by the department.

For more information, refer to MAA 2025-21: Milk and Milk Products: Vietnam: Product description on health certification.

If 'organic' or ‘bio-dynamic’ forms part of a business's legal name or registered business name, it may appear in the exporter details on the export certificate.

This inclusion does not mean the product meets Australia’s organic exports regulatory requirements.

Please contact the Organic Exports Program (OrganicExports@aff.gov.au) if you have questions about how your business name impacts your organic export requirements.

Examples

The following examples show acceptable and unacceptable use of the term 'organic' and ‘bio-dynamic’ on prescribed dairy export certificates.

Acceptable (all markets)

Exporter: Organic Z Dairy Pty Ltd
Exporter: Bio-dynamic Z Dairy Co Pty Ltd
Product description: Whole Milk Powder

Acceptable (Vietnam only)

Product description: Organic Whole Milk Powder (supported by a valid Organic Goods Certificate for the consignment)

Not acceptable (all other markets)

Product description: Organic Whole Milk Powder
Product description: Bio-dynamic Whole Milk Yoghurt

Note: A prescribed dairy export certificate does not certify a product as organic or bio-dynamic. Organic or bio-dynamic certification must be obtained separately through an approved certifying body.