Effective: 01 September 2025
Attention
Importers of bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products from Spain, and brokers acting on their behalf.
Purpose
To provide notice of changes to import requirements for bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products from Spain.
Key points
- The department has successfully negotiated a foreign government certification arrangement with Spain for bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products.
- The arrangement commences 1 September 2025. From this date, bivalve molluscs and bivalve molluscs products (excluding those that are dried, or retorted and shelf stable) from Spain must have a recognised government certificate.
- Foreign government certificates are consignment specific and must be issued by the recognised competent authority. All consignments will be checked to verify the validity of the certificate.
- Consignments without a recognised government certificate will be directed for supervised re-export or supervised destruction at the importers expense.
- Consignments may also be referred to the Imported Food Inspection Scheme for analytical testing. During inspection we will also conduct a label and visual assessment.
- Bivalve molluscs include clams (including ark shells), cockles, mussels, oysters, pipis and scallops.
- Bivalve mollusc products are foods containing bivalve mollusc meat (such as seafood mixes).
Instructions
- Find out about lodging documents for imported bivalve molluscs.
Further information
- Learn more about the biosecurity conditions for importing bivalve molluscs in the biosecurity case in the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) under ‘Seafood (excluding finfish) for human consumption’.
- Learn more about the analytical testing of bivalve molluscs in the food safety requirements case in the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) under ‘Molluscs and mollusc products’.
Background
IFN 15-23 provided notice of mandatory certification requirements for bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products.
Consignments of bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products must be imported from a country that has a foreign government certification arrangement in place or is in the process of negotiating such an arrangement.
Visit our webpage for a list of countries that have applied to export bivalve molluscs and bivalve molluscs products to Australia.
The department has assessed and determined that the Spanish system for the production and processing of bivalve molluscs and bivalve mollusc products provides equivalent food safety outcomes to Australia’s system.
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