On 10 January 2025, Germany notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD on a small farm of 14 water buffaloes. Germany immediately implemented emergency disease control and eradication measures. No further cases of FMD were reported in Germany beyond the initial farm. On 14 April 2025, WOAH reinstated the ‘FMD-free country where vaccination is not practised’ status for the whole of Germany.
The Australian Government has completed a detailed technical evaluation of Germany’s FMD status and an accompanying biosecurity risk assessment and is satisfied that Germany is free from FMD, with effect from 14 April 2025. Germany has now been added to the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists.
Note that restrictions remain in place on the import of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025, unless alternative risk management measures are in place.
Any changes or updates will be communicated to industry on this website and via Import Industry Advice Notices and BICON Alerts.
Managing the biosecurity risk to Australia
Australia has added Germany to the following lists, with an exclusion period from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025:
- List of FMD-Free Countries
- List of countries for natural casings derived from bovine, caprine, ovine or porcine animals
- List of countries approved for the import of bovine fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of camelid fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of cervine fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of ovine and caprine fluids and tissues
We are working with affected importers to vary biosecurity import permits to reflect Germany’s new FMD status.
Exclusion period for goods impacted by the outbreak
The Australian Government takes the biosecurity risk of FMD very seriously.
In response to the FMD outbreak in Germany in January 2025, Germany was removed from the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists. Importation of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species that were sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany from 14 November 2024 were restricted.
Based on the findings of the department’s detailed technical evaluation of Germany’s FMD status and accompanying biosecurity risk assessment, Germany has been reinstated on the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists, with effect from 14 April 2025.
As such, restrictions remain in place on the import of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025, unless alternative risk management measures are in place.
Importers should refer to their biosecurity import permit or the Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods) Determination 2021 for the relevant import conditions for their goods.
Importing goods sourced from, manufactured in and/or exported from Germany outside of the exclusion period
Goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species that were fully finished and/or exported from Germany before 14 November 2024, or sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany on or after 14 April 2025 may now be imported, where all other import conditions are met. Biosecurity import permits will specify any evidence required to demonstrate that goods were sourced from and/or manufactured outside of the exclusion period.
Enroute shipment of goods sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025
Goods will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it is likely that goods sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025 will be deemed as posing an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk.
Goods that are assessed as having an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk will be subject to additional biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction.
Importers and brokers that are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging for the export of any product to Australia.
Clarification for composite products containing dairy and the exclusion period
Where a composite product is manufactured in Germany, the exclusion period from 14 November 2024 until 14 April 2025 applies to both:
- the sourcing and/or manufacturing date/s of the dairy ingredients of a composite product, and
- the manufacturing date of the final product.
If a composite dairy product is manufactured outside of Germany, the exclusion period applies only to the date when the dairy component of the goods was sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany.
Products manufactured outside of Germany, containing ingredients sourced from Germany
If ingredients sourced from Germany were imported to another FMD-free country for manufacturing, the dairy ingredients must have been fully finished and/or exported from Germany before 14 November 2024 or sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany on or after 14 April 2025. Any evidence required to demonstrate this will be specified in biosecurity import permits.
Impacted goods
Adding Germany to the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists impacts a wide range of goods that contain or are derived from FMD-susceptible species. These include, but are not limited to:
- Goods that contain greater than 10% dairy by dry weight where the dairy is sourced from and/or manufactured in Germany, other than commercially prepared and packaged chocolate. This includes goods where less than 10% of dry weight is German dairy.
- Personal dairy and meat food items imported as passenger personal effects or through the mail from Germany.
- Natural casings derived from ovine or caprine species sourced, manufactured in, or exported from Germany.
- Reproductive material derived from bovine, ovine or caprine species and susceptible zoo animals (e.g., giraffes and elephants) sourced or exported from Germany.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing, or derived from, bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured in or exported from Germany.
- Pet food and stock feed containing, or derived from, bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured in or exported from Germany.
- Laboratory goods containing bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced, manufactured in or exported from Germany.
- Peat sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
Goods that pose an unacceptable biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction. Importers and brokers who are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging the export of any goods from Germany. We are committed to ongoing trade where it is safe to do so.
Goods NOT impacted
Goods that do not require country freedom from FMD include but are not limited to:
- Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and no other ingredients of biosecurity concern for human consumption.
- Lactose, solid chocolate (including imitation chocolate), and ghee (clarified butter) for human consumption.
- Collagen, with a permit, for human consumption.
- Retorted dairy, meat and petfood, with a permit.
Extruded pet food
We do not generally consider extrusion an acceptable heat treatment to inactivate FMD virus. All import permit applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the effectiveness of heat treatments.
Peat imports
Peat can continue to be imported into Australia from Germany provided all biosecurity import conditions can be met. This includes the requirement that the peat not be sourced from an area:
- in which FMD has occurred in the past 12-months or
- within a three (3) kilometre radius of an FMD affected property.
Dairy foods for medical purposes
Foods for special medical purpose (FSMP) and special medical purpose products for infants (SMPPi) are critical for vulnerable people and trade in these products will continue where it is safe to do so. We are conducting risk assessments on these types of products and will issue bespoke import permits, provided the biosecurity risk is acceptably low. Only SMPPi and FSMP, as per Standard 2.9.1 or 2.9.5 respectively of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Food Standards Code), are being prioritised and considered under bespoke import conditions at this time.
Double pasteurised or ultra heat-treated dairy goods
We do not consider double pasteurisation or UHT as an acceptable treatment to inactivate FMD virus. Dairy products from countries that are not on the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List must meet the risk management measures specified in section 5.2.1 of the Import risk review for dairy products for human consumption, or be retorted. Retorting a is a process where the goods are placed in a hermitically sealed container and then heat treated at extreme temperatures for a period to render the goods commercially sterile, achieving an F0 value of 2.8. Standard retort processes parameters include achieving a core temperature of 121.1°C for 2.8 minutes. Retorting is a process that has been proven to inactivate harmful pathogens of concern including FMD virus.
Testing products
Testing products for FMD is not considered an acceptable alternative to sourcing and manufacturing goods in countries that are on the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List.