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Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Import
  4. Importing goods
  5. Timber, bamboo and wood products

Sidebar first - Import

  • Importing goods
    • Biological products
      • Application to change the end use of imported biological goods (repurposing)
      • Biological products forms
      • Biological Consultative Group
      • Checklist for importing biological materials
        • Animal Feed (including pet food, stockfeed, aquaculture feed and bait) checklist
        • Importing laboratory materials for use in non-laboratory animals
      • How to import animal derivatives and microbial goods into Australia - general information for importers
        • Application for transfer of biosecurity risk material
        • How to complete an Application to Import Biological Materials
      • Questions and Answers
    • Cats and dogs
    • External Territories
      • Indian Ocean Territories (IOT)
        • Import conditions for solanaceous produce
      • Norfolk Island produce
        • Risk assessment-fresh apples and pears
        • Risk assessment-fresh asparagus
        • Risk assessment-fresh beans and snowpeas
        • Risk assessment-fresh blueberries
        • Risk assessment-fresh broccoli and cauliflower
        • Risk assessment-fresh citrus fruits
        • Risk assessment-fresh fleshy vegetables
        • Risk assessment-fresh kiwifruit
        • Risk assessment-fresh leafy vegetables
        • Risk assessment-fresh mangoes
        • Risk assessment-fresh melons
        • List of permitted species of mushrooms and truffles
        • Risk assessment-fresh pineapples
        • Risk assessment-fresh root crops
        • Risk assessment-fresh stone fruits
        • Risk assessment-fresh strawberries and raspberries
        • Risk assessment-fresh table grapes
      • Application for permit: External territories
      • Import conditions for public consultation
    • Fertiliser
      • Chemical and mined fertiliser
      • Level 1 gold supply chains
      • Organic fertiliser
    • Food
      • How to import food
        • Food Import Compliance Agreements
          • FICA audits
      • Import requirements by food type
        • Importing food from New Zealand
        • Pure and highly concentrated caffeine products
        • Cereal grains and cereal products
        • Coconut and coconut meat
        • Coconut milk drinks
        • Cheese
        • Dried milk
        • Raw milk cheese
        • Fruits and vegetables
        • Berries
        • Pomegranate arils
        • Hemp seeds and oil
        • Dried herbs
        • Paprika and pepper
        • Honey
        • Human milk and human milk products
        • Powdered infant formula
        • Kava
        • Beef and beef products
        • Processed meat - cooked
        • Meat and edible offal
        • Cooked poultry meat
        • Cooked poultry pate, paste and liver
        • Raw beef and beef products
        • Processed meat - uncooked
        • Uncooked slow dry cured ham
        • Peanuts and pistachios
        • Sesame seeds and sesame seed products
        • Edible plant oil
        • Cassava chips
        • Tofu, soy bean curd, soy milk curd
        • Mini jelly cups containing konjac
        • Prohibited plants and fungi
        • Bivalve molluscs
        • Cooked crustaceans
        • Fish and crustaceans - aquaculture
        • Histamine susceptible fish
        • Processed finfish
        • Brown seaweed
        • Supplementary sports food
      • Documents and declarations
        • Full Import Declarations
        • Declaring the producer of imported food
        • IFIS importer declarations
        • Food safety management certificates
      • Inspection and testing
        • Imported Food Inspection Scheme
        • Book a laboratory
        • Food sampling
        • Failing food reports
        • Reconsideration and review of decisions
        • Holding orders
        • Surveys and data
      • Appointed analysts
        • Testing imported food samples
        • Conditions for appointment as an analyst
      • Foreign government certification
        • Mandatory government certification
        • Voluntary government certification
        • Applying for a certification arrangement
      • Notices
      • Legislation
    • Live animals and reproductive material
      • Animals on vessels
      • Application to import
      • Cats and dogs
      • Fees and charges
      • Fertile hatching eggs (poultry)
      • Horses
        • Importing horses - Notices to Industry and Forms
      • Invertebrates
      • Laboratory animals
      • Live aquarium (ornamental) fish
        • Approved Aquarium Chemicals, Treatments and Antibiotics
      • Livestock
      • Pet birds
      • Pigeons
      • Rabbits
      • Reproductive material (semen and embryos)
      • Transit and transhipment of animals through Australia
      • Unique or exotic pets
      • Zoo animals
    • Major resources and energy sector
      • Biosecurity Management Plan Template
      • Industry Cargo Inspection Report template
      • Industry Vessel Cleanliness Inspection Report Template
      • Sail-Away Report template
    • Motor vehicles, motorcycles and machinery
    • Movement advice animal transport equipment
    • Plants and plant products
      • Bulk grain
        • Bulk grain guidance and templates
        • Managing the biosecurity risks of imported bulk grain
      • Compliance-Based Intervention Scheme
        • Compliance-based intervention scheme (CBIS) for animal commodities
      • Cut flowers and foliage
        • Managing pests
        • Supply chain management system requirements
        • Importing cut flowers for commercial use guide
      • Food, drink and supplements
      • Fresh produce
      • Live plants
        • Approved sources of Phalaenopsis
        • Approved sources of tissue cultures free of media
        • Changes to import requirements to protect against Xylella
        • Live plant forms
      • Managing plant imports biosecurity risk
      • Plant-based animal feed
        • Guide to engaging and undertaking third party audits of processed plant-based stockfeed facilities
        • Infographic - importing processed plant-based animal feed
        • Plant-based animal feed and fertiliser forms
        • Requirements for facilities manufacturing and exporting processed plant-based stockfeed and their ingredients to Australia
      • Plant products applied to soils and plants
      • Seeds for planting
        • Coversheet for seed for planting consignments
        • Department approved seed purity testing laboratories
        • Emergency measures: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus
        • Emergency measures for tomato and capsicum seed: Tomato mottle mosaic virus Questions and Answers
        • International Clean Seed Pathway Workshop
        • Pathogen test request form
        • Reviewing laboratory test reports checklists
        • Seed contaminants and tolerance tables
        • Vegetable seeds policy review
      • Plant research material
      • Processing imported plant material in Australia
      • Timber, bamboo and wood products
        • Approved treatments for timber and wooden related products
          • Timber permanent preservative treatment requirements
            • Approved timber permanent preservative formulations
            • Timber preservation standards
        • Canadian Sawn Wood Certification Program (CSWCP)
        • Imports for non-commercial (personal) use
        • Types of timber, bamboo, and related products
        • Wooden articles import permit
    • Timber and bamboo packaging
      • Bark on timber packaging and dunnage
      • ISPM 15 for solid wood packaging
    • Uncooked prawns
      • Par-cooking BBC prawns
      • Uncooked prawn consignments

Importing timber, wooden articles, bamboo and related products

​​​​​​​​​​​​Import conditions

All imported timber, wooden articles, bamboo and related products (whether for commercial or personal use) must comply with the import conditions as stated on the department's Biosecurity Import Conditions sys​tem (BICON). 

Launch Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON)

​ Graphic image of the BICON launch button

It is the responsibility ​ of importer​s to ensure that their products meet the import conditions. Failing to meet import conditions may result in delays, additional costs, and, in some cases, the re-export or destruction of the goods at the importers expense.

The types of timber, wooden articles, bamboo, and related products page has product definitions and links to the applicable import conditions in BICON for different types of timber, wooden articles, bamboo and related products.

The import conditions set out in BICON include requirements for you to demonstrate that pest risks are mitigated through the manufacturing process or through approved treatments. The department verifies that biosecurity risks have been adequately addressed by assessing evidence of compliance in documentation and/or by inspecting the goods when they arrive in Australia.

For more information on biosecurity requirements for imported timber, wooden articles, bamboo and related products see:

  • Importing wooden products for non-commercial (personal) use
  • Approved treatments for timber and wooden related products
  • Timber and bamboo packaging import requirements
  • Types of timber, wooden articles, bamboo, and related products

Requirements relating to illegal logging

For timber and timber products, you may also be required to take steps to ensure that the wood is low risk of having been illegally logged. Further information on due diligence requirements can be found on the department’s illegal logging webpage​.

Complying with import conditions is im​portant 

The​ import conditions set out in BICON protect Australia from exotic pests and other biosecurity risks. Australia enjoys freedom from many of the world’s most damaging pests and diseases. There are many exotic pests and insects that could hitch a ride to Australia in timber, bamboo, wooden related products, and packaging and on cargo containers.

Even products that appear outwardly to be clean may harbour biosecurity risks because many timber pests occur within wood and can be very difficult to detect in their egg or larval stage. If these pests establish in Australia they could have a detrimental impact on our agriculture and forestry industries, natural environment, food security, timber in service (furniture, houses) and economy.

Report signs of pests in imported ti​​mber

Everyone in the supply and retail chain has a role in recognising and reporting any signs of pest activity in imported timber and wooden related products, including furniture. It is possible for exotic pests that arrive in timber products in the egg or larvae stage to go unnoticed for many years until frass (a sawdust-like substance produced by feeding wood boring insects) or holes appear.

It is important that goods in storage are regularly checked for insects or pest activity even after being released from biosecurity control, as it can take time for infestation to appear.

Things to look and listen for include:

  • insect or larvae activity
  • rasping noise coming from the wood
  • sudden appearance of holes
  • dust or sawdust (frass) which keeps returning.

Read more about exotic pests that may arrive in imported timber and timber products.

If you suspect anything unusual in imported timber and wooden related products, report a biosecurity concern online or on 1800 798 636.​​

​​

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

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Last updated: 04 November 2019

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.