I want to get goods out of the country
This tool will help you understand the steps for exporting goods out of Australia, and your responsibilities depending on your role in the export process.
The exporting process depends on the commodity you wish to export. Which commodity would you like to learn about?
The process for exporting milk and milk products depends on whether the good is prescribed. Prescribed goods are commodities that are regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural products meet import requirements.
To determine whether your milk or milk product is prescribed, follow these steps.
Step 1: Is the milk or milk product on either of the below lists?
- If the good is on the prescribed milk or milk list and is not on the exclusions list: The good is prescribed. Progress to the Export of milk or milk products page.
- If the good is not on the prescribed milk or milk products: Progress to step 2.
- If the good is on the exclusions list: Progress to step 2.
Prescribed milk or milk products
- Milk and milk products exported as food, deriving from bovine animals (cows, bison and others).
Exclusions
- Icecream
- Cheesecake, Bavarian desserts or other similar desserts
- Colostrum
- Milk or milk products encased in pastry or fruit or vegetable product
- Liquid milk or milk products in a consignment of volume less than 10L
- Milk or milk products in a consignment weighing less than 10kg
- Milk products where milk is not the major component
- Milk or milk products in a tablet or capsule
- Milk or milk products deriving from a non-bovine animal
- Milk or milk products in a consignment for export to New Zealand
Further exclusions
- Milk or milk products in a consignment for export to an external territory for consumption in that territory,
- Milk or milk products in a consignment for export to a resource industry structure in any of the following areas, for consumption in that structure:
- The Greater Sunrise special regime area
- The Greater Sunrise pipeline international offshore area
- The Bayu-Undan Gas Field
- The Bayu-Undan pipeline international offshore area
- The Kitan Oil Field
- Milk or milk products that are for consumption of passengers or crew of an aircraft or vessel on a flight or voyage from Australian territory
- Milk or milk products that are imported into Australian territory and held in bond at all times until export
- Milk or milk products that are imported into Australian territory and then exported in the same covering in which and with the same trade description with which, they were exported.
Step 2: Is the product on the further exclusions list?
If yes: The good is not prescribed. Progress to the Export of non-prescribed goods section.
If no: The good may be prescribed if an importing country requires the milk or milk product to comply with requirements of the Export Control Act 2020.
Determining whether a good is prescribed can be a complicated process. If you are unsure if your good is prescribed, contact us at dairyexportsupport@agriculture.gov.au
The process for exporting eggs and egg products depends on whether the good is prescribed. Prescribed goods are commodities that are regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural products meet import requirements.
To determine whether your egg or egg product is prescribed, follow these steps.
Step 1: Is the eggs or egg product on either of the below lists?
- If the good is on the prescribed eggs and egg products list and is not on the exclusions list: The good is prescribed. Progress to the Export of eggs and egg products page.
- If the good is not on the prescribed eggs and egg products: Progress to step 2.
- If the good is on the exclusions list: Progress to step 2.
Prescribed eggs and egg products
- Eggs and egg products exported as food, deriving from gallus gallus (chickens).
Exclusions
- Eggs or egg products encased in pastry or fruit or vegetable product
- Liquid eggs or egg products in a consignment of volume less than 10L
- Eggs or egg products in a consignment weighing less than 10kg
- Eggs products where egg is not the major component
- Eggs or egg products in a tablet or capsule
- Eggs or egg products deriving from an animal other than a chicken
- Eggs or egg products in a consignment for export to New Zealand.
Further exclusions
- Egg or egg products in a consignment for export to an external territory for consumption in that territory,
- Egg or egg products in a consignment for export to a resource industry structure in any of the following areas, for consumption in that structure:
- The Greater Sunrise special regime area
- The Greater Sunrise pipeline international offshore area
- The Bayu-Undan Gas Field
- The Bayu-Undan pipeline international offshore area
- The Kitan Oil Field
- Egg or egg products that are for consumption of passengers or crew of an aircraft or vessel on a flight or voyage from Australian territory,
- Egg or egg products that are imported into Australian territory and held in bond at all times until export
- Egg or egg products that are imported into Australian territory and then exported in the same covering in which and with the same trade description with which, they were exported.
Step 2: Is it animal food or a pharmaceutical product?
If yes: The good is not prescribed. Progress to the Export of non-prescribed goods section.
If no: The good may be prescribed if an importing country requires the meat or meat product to comply with requirements of the Export Control Act 2020.
Determining whether a good is prescribed can be a complicated process. If you are unsure if your good is prescribed, contact us at dairyeggsfish@agriculture.gov.au
The process for exporting fish and fish products depends on whether the good is prescribed. Prescribed goods are commodities that are regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural products meet import requirements.
To determine whether your fish or fish product is prescribed, follow these steps.
Step 1: Is the fish or fish product on either of the below lists?
- If the good is on the prescribed fish or fish products list and is not on the either exclusions lists: The good is prescribed. Progress to the Export of seafood products page.
- If the good is not on the prescribed fish and fish products list: Progress to step 2.
- If the good is on the exclusions list: Progress to step 2.
Prescribed fish and fish products
Fish and fish products exported as food, deriving from any of the following:
- Aquatic vertebrates (not mammals or birds)
- Aquatic invertebrates.
Exclusions
- Animal food
- Pharmaceuticals
- Dried fish or dried fish products (other than dried abalone) in a consignment less than 2kg
- Fish or fish products in a consignment weighing less than 10kg
- Liquid fish or fish products in a consignment of volume less than 10L
- Fish or fish products (other than dried abalone) in a consignment weighing less than 10kg
- Fish products where fish is not the major component
- Fish or fish products in a tablet or capsule
- Fish or fish products in a consignment for export to New Zealand.
Further exclusions
- Fish or fish products in a consignment for export to an external territory for consumption in that territory,
- Fish or fish products in a consignment for export to a resource industry structure in any of the following areas, for consumption in that structure:
- The Greater Sunrise special regime area
- The Greater Sunrise pipeline international offshore area
- The Bayu-Undan Gas Field
- The Bayu-Undan pipeline international offshore area
- The Kitan Oil Field
- Fish or fish products that are for consumption of passengers or crew of an aircraft or vessel on a flight or voyage from Australian territory
- Fish or fish products that are imported into Australian territory and held in bond at all times until export
- Fish or fish products that are imported into Australian territory and then exported in the same covering in which and with the same trade description with which, they were exported.
Step 2: Is it on the further exclusions list?
If yes: The good is not prescribed. Refer to the Export of non-prescribed goods section.
If no: The good may be prescribed if an importing country requires the fish or fish product to comply with requirements of the Export Control Act 2020.
Determining whether a good is prescribed can be a complicated process. If you are unsure if your good is prescribed, contact us at dairyeggsfish@agriculture.gov.au
The process for exporting meat and meat products depends on whether the good is prescribed. Prescribed goods are commodities that are regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural products meet import requirements.
To determine whether your meat or meat product is prescribed, follow these steps.
Step 1: Is the meat or meat product on either of the below lists?
- If the good is on the prescribed meat and meat products list and is not on the exclusions list: The good is prescribed. Progress to the Export of meat and meat products page.
- If the good is not on the prescribed meat and meat products: Progress to step 2.
- If the good is on the exclusions list: Progress to step 2.
Prescribed meat and meat products
Meat and meat products exported as food, deriving from any of the following:
- Bovine animals (cows, bison, and others)
- Ovine animals (sheep and others)
- Caprine animals (goats and others)
- Porcine animals (pigs and others)
- Bubaline animals (buffalo and others)
- Camelid animals (camels, alpacas, llamas and others)
- Cervid animals (deer and others)
- Soliped animals (horses, donkeys, and others)
- Poultry animals (chickens, ducks, geese, fowl, turkeys, pheasants, quail, and others)
- Ratite animals (emus, ostriches, and others)
- Rabbits
- Wild caught animals.
Exclusions
- Soup, soup power or soup concentrate
- Meat extracts
- Tallow
- Gelatine
- Regenerated collagen products
- Animal food
- Pharmaceutical products
- Products that are less than 5% meat, by weight
- Meat or meat products in a consignment weighing less than 10kg
- Meat or meat products for export to New Zealand for consumption in New Zealand
- Meat or meat products in a consignment for export to an external territory for consumption in that territory
- Meat or meat products in a consignment for export to a resource industry structure in any of the following areas, for consumption in that structure:
- Greater Sunrise special regime area
- Greater Sunrise pipeline international offshore area
- Bayu-Undan Gas Field
- Bayu-Undan pipeline international offshore area
- Kitan Oil Field
- Meat or meat products that are for consumption of passengers or crew of an aircraft or vessel on a flight or voyage from Australian territory
- Meat or meat products that are imported into Australian territory and held in bond at all times until export
- Meat or meat products that are imported into Australian territory and then exported in the same covering in which and with the same trade description with which, they were exported.
Step 2: Is it animal food or a pharmaceutical product?
If yes: The good is not prescribed. Progress to the Export of non-prescribed goods section.
If no: The good may be prescribed if an importing country requires the meat or meat product to comply with requirements of the Export Control Act 2020.
Determining whether a good is prescribed can be a complicated process. If you are unsure if your good is prescribed, contact us at MID.OpsCoord@agriculture.gov.au.
The process for exporting live animals depends on whether it is considered as prescribed livestock. Prescribed livestock is a sub-commodity that is regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural exports meet import requirements.
To determine whether your animal is considered as prescribed livestock, follow these steps.
Step 1: Is the animal on the prescribed livestock list?
- If the animal is on the prescribed livestock list: The animal is considered as livestock. Progress to the Export of livestock page.
- If the animal is not on the prescribed livestock list: It may be considered as other or companion animals. Progress to the Companion animals.
Prescribed livestock
- Cattle
- Sheep
- Goats
- Deer
- Camelids
- Buffalo.
Contact us at livestockexp@awe.gov.au if you have any questions or concerns.
The process for exporting plant and plant products depends on whether the good is prescribed. Prescribed goods are commodities that are regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural products meet import requirements.
To determine whether your plant or plant product is prescribed, follow these steps.
Step 1: Is the plant or plant product on either of the below lists?
- If the good is on the prescribed plant or plant products list and is not on the exclusions list: The good is prescribed. Progress to the Export of plant or plant products page.
- If the good is not on the prescribed plant or plant products: Progress to step 2.
- If the good is on the exclusions list: Progress to step 2.
Prescribed plant or plant products
- Fresh fruit
- Fresh vegetables
- Hay and straw
- Whole grain barley (not hulled, milled, or malted)
- Whole seed canola
- Whole or split chickpeas
- Dried field peas (being dried seeds of the species Pisum sativum that are angular or spherical in shape, and not of the varieties known as processing peas, vegetable peas, garden peas or peas in pod)
- Whole or split faba beans
- Whole or split lentils
- Whole or split lupins
- Whole or split mung beans
- Whole or clipped oats (not rolled, crushed, milled, hulled or kiln-dried)
- Whole unmilled sorghum
- Whole unmilled soybeans
- Whole unmilled wheat
- Whole or broken seed vetch
- Any plant or plant product for which the importing country requires a phytosanitary certificate.
Exclusions
- Plant based oils,
- Narcotic goods,
- Solid plant or plant products in a consignment weighing less than 10kg,
- Liquid plant or plant products in a consignment less than 10L in volume,
- Plant or plant products in a consignment for export from Norfolk Island,
- Hay, straw, fresh fruit or vegetables in a consignment for export to New Zealand for that do not require a phytosanitary certificate,
- Plant or plant products in a consignment for export to an external territory for consumption in that territory,
- Plant or plant products in a consignment for export to a resource industry structure in any of the following areas, for consumption in that structure:
- The Greater Sunrise special regime area
- The Greater Sunrise pipeline international offshore area
- The Bayu-Undan Gas Field
- The Bayu-Undan pipeline international offshore area
- The Kitan Oil Field
- Plant or plant products that are for consumption of passengers or crew of an aircraft or vessel on a flight or voyage from Australian territory
- Plant or plant products that are imported into Australian territory and held in bond at all times until export
- Plant or plant products that are imported into Australian territory and then exported in the same covering in which and with the same trade description with which, they were exported.
Step 2: Is the product on either of the below lists?
If the goods is on the prescribed wood and woodchips list and is not on the wood exclusions list: The good is prescribed. Progress to the Export of plant or plant products page.
If the good is not on the prescribed wood and woodchips list: The good is not prescribed. Progress to the Export of non-prescribed goods section.
If the good is on the wood exclusions list: The good is not prescribed. Progress to the Export of non-prescribed goods section.
Prescribed wood and woodchips
- Woodchips
- Wood in the round
- Wood with a cross-sectional area of at least 225 square centimetres.
Wood exclusions
- Wood or woodchips are not prescribed for the purposes of subsection 28(1) of the Act if the wood or woodchips are derived from trees sourced from a plantation in a State for which there is an approved code of practice.
- Goods in a consignment that includes less than 2 tonnes of wood or woodchips.
Determining whether a good is prescribed can be a complicated process. If you are unsure if your good is prescribed, contact us at horticultureexports@agriculture.gov.au or grain.export@agriculture.gov.au
Prescribed goods are commodities that are regulated by us to assure Australia’s trading partners that Australian agricultural products meet import requirements. The Export Control Act 2020 and Export Control Rules detail what goods are prescribed. Goods that are not detailed in the Act and the Rules are non-prescribed. Non-prescribed goods are not regulated by Australian export laws but must meet the requirements of the importing country.
To determine if a good is prescribed, first check the definitions of prescribed goods for each commodity area:
- Dairy products
- Seafood products
- Eggs and egg products
- Meat and meat products
- Plant and plant products
- Live animals.
If your goods do not fit the description of prescribed goods according to any of the above definitions, then the guide below will provide an overview of the process for exporting your goods.
Common non-prescribed good types are:
- Animal by-products
- Some cosmetics
- Inedible blood
- Nutritional supplements
- Pet food
- Processed foods and beverages
- Rendered fats and oils
- Rendered meats
- Skins and hides
- Wool.
If your goods do not fit the description of prescribed goods according to any of the above definitions, then the how to export non-prescribed goods guide will provide an overview of the process for exporting your goods.
Confirming whether a good is non-prescribed can be a complicated process. If you are not sure whether your good is prescribed, contact us at npgexports@agriculture.gov.au.
Organic goods are goods that are labelled or described as, or includes ingredients that are labelled or described as:
- organic
- biodynamic
- other similar wording (includes goods that are described as ‘in conversion to organic or bio-dynamic’).
There are additional steps to follow if you want to export organic goods. For example, if you are exporting organic wheat, you must comply with both the organic regulation and the plant regulation for wheat.
To understand the process of exporting an organic good, you will need to determine the commodity you are exporting, as well whether the good is prescribed. These will lead you to the processes for exporting that kind of commodity, including the additional steps for organic exports.
- Dairy products
- Seafood products
- Eggs and egg products
- Meat and meat products
- Plant and plant products
Organic goods are always prescribed, but if your good does not fit the description of prescribed goods according to any of the definitions, then the process for exporting your goods is outlined in non-prescribed goods.