This webpage details the requirements for high-risk plant products following the implementation of Phases 1-3 of the khapra beetle urgent actions.
For the full list of import conditions refer to BICON.
As of 3 September 2020, high-risk plant products cannot be imported into Australia via:
- unaccompanied personal effects (UPEs)
- low value (less than $1,000) air and sea freight (lodged through self-assessed clearance (SAC))
Failure to comply with these requirements will result in export or destruction of the products upon arrival in Australia.
Important:
The following high-risk plant products, imported as low value (less than $1,000) air and sea freight (lodged through self-assessed clearance (SAC)) are excluded from this ban:
| Product | Requirements to meet the exclusion from this ban |
|---|---|
| Seed for disease screening in post entry quarantine | Documents:
|
| Products for research purposes at an Australian research institution | Documents:
|
| Products imported for commercial use by an Australian business |
High-risk plant products imported for commercial purposes and arriving in low value freight must meet the relevant treatment or inspection conditions detailed in Phase 3 and Phase 5. Importation of high-risk plant products via low value freight for personal use is not permitted. |
As of 15 October 2020, high-risk plant products cannot be imported into Australia via:
- baggage carried by international travellers (including crew) entering via sea or air
- mail articles (including items posted using Express Mail Service).
Failure to comply with these requirements will result in export or destruction of the products upon arrival in Australia.
As of 30 September 2021, import conditions for high-risk plant products imported via commercial pathways have changed. For the full list of import conditions refer to BICON.
These conditions apply to air freight and sea freight, including LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL/FCX (Full Container Load/Full Container Consolidated) containers. The requirements exclude seeds for sowing and goods that are imported for research purposes coming as low value freight (less than $1000).
The conditions vary depending on whether the country of export for the products is a khapra beetle target risk country or not, as summarised below.
Table 1: Summary of Phase 3 requirements
| Country of export | Product requirements | Treatment certificate required (Y/N)? | Phytosanitary certificate required (Y/N)? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khapra beetle target risk country Note: If the products are to be packed into an FCL/FCX sea container, the sea container itself must also be treated. See details here. |
|
Yes | Yes |
| All other countries |
|
No | Yes |
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the export of the container and/or the goods on-arrival in Australia.
Note: High-risk plant products arriving as low value freight will only be permitted entry if the consignment is:
- imported for commercial use by an Australian company or business
- meets the relevant treatment or inspection requirement listed in Table 1 above.
Importation of high-risk plant products via low value freight for personal use is banned, as detailed in Phase 1 requirements.
To demonstrate high-risk plant products arriving as low value freight have been imported for commercial use, one of the following documents will be required:
- Supplier’s declaration
- manufacturer’s declaration
- commercial invoice, or
- importer declaration.
The document must have evidence that the goods have been imported by an Australian company or business.
Treatment and treatment certification requirements
As outlined in Table 1 above, high-risk plant products exported from khapra beetle target risk countries via sea and air freight must be treated offshore.
The treatment must be completed within 21 days of export.
The approved treatment options are methyl bromide fumigation and heat treatment. Modified atmosphere treatment has been identified as an alternative treatment option.
The high-risk plant products must be:
- fumigated offshore with methyl bromide at one of the rates listed in Table 2
- accompanied by a methyl bromide treatment certificate
- accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
The treatment and treatment certificate must meet the requirements of the Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology.
Table 2: Methyl bromide fumigation treatment rates
| Temperature | Minimum initial dose rate | Exposure period | Minimum end point reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21°C and above | 80 g/m³ | 48 hours | 20 g/m³ |
| 16°C - 20.9°C | 88 g/m³ | 48 hours | 22 g/m³ |
| 11°C - 15.9°C | 96 g/m³ | 48 hours | 24 g/m³ |
| 10°C - 10.9°C | 104 g/m³ | 48 hours | 26 g/m³ |
Notes: Dose increases to compensate for temperatures less than 10°C are NOT permitted.
Packaging requirements for an effective fumigation
To ensure the fumigant effectively treats the products, the products must be either fumigated:
- in gas permeable packaging; OR
- prior to being packaged; OR
- with any impermeable packaging open during fumigation.
Examples of gas permeable packaging include:
- Woven fabrics and plastics that are not lined/laminated with impermeable materials
- Dry cloth
- Perforated plastics or cellophane that meet the perforation requirements of the Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology
- Paper and cardboard that is not waxed, lined, laminated or painted.
Examples of non-permeable packaging include:
- Solid plastic or cellophane (including sheets, bags, pouches, films, wraps)
- Woven fabrics and plastics that are lined, coated or laminated with impermeable materials
- Paper and cardboard that is waxed, lined, laminated, or painted
- Sealed pouches, tins and cans
- Sealed glass jars and bottles.
See our packaging suitability guide for more information: Guide to packaging suitability for performing QPS treatments.
The high-risk plant products must be:
- heat treated offshore at a minimum temperature of 60°C for 120 minutes, measured at the core of the goods
- accompanied by a heat treatment certificate
- accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
The treatment and treatment certificate must meet the requirements of the Heat Treatment Methodology.
Note: the above heat treatment rate (60°C for 120 minutes) applies to high-risk plant products only. The khapra beetle heat treatment rate for sea containers is 60°C for 180 minutes, as detailed on the sea containers webpage.
The high-risk plant products must be:
- treated offshore using a controlled atmosphere treatment at one of the rates in Table 3
- accompanied by a controlled atmosphere treatment certificate
- accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate
- accompanied by an import permit. Please include the following details in your permit application:
- controlled atmosphere treatment rate that will be used
- name and contact details of the treatment provider
- details of any government registration or approvals to treat goods for export
- type/brand of controlled atmosphere treatment system
- how the plant products are packaged for treatment.
Table 3: Controlled Atmosphere Treatments: Altered pressure rates
| Temperature | Concentration | Pressure | Minimum Exposure period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20°C or above | Carbon dioxide (CO2) - 95% or above | 20 bar or above | 5 hours |
| 20°C or above | Carbon dioxide (CO2) - 95% or above | 30 bar or above | 3 hours |
Notes: The temperature must be for the enclosure and the products.
Packaging requirements for an effective treatment
To ensure the treatment effectively treats the products, the products must be treated either:
- in gas permeable packaging; OR
- prior to being packaged; OR
- with any impermeable packaging open during fumigation.
Examples of gas permeable packaging include:
- woven fabrics and plastics that are not lined/laminated with impermeable materials
- dry cloth
- perforated plastics or cellophane that meet the perforation requirements of the Controlled Atmosphere Treatment Methodology
- paper and cardboard that is not waxed, lined, laminated or painted.
Examples of non-permeable packaging include:
- solid plastic or cellophane (including sheets, bags, pouches, films, wraps)
- woven fabrics and plastics that are lined, coated or laminated with impermeable materials
- paper and cardboard that is waxed, lined, laminated, or painted
- sealed pouches, tins and cans
- sealed glass jars and bottles.
See our packaging suitability guide for more information: Guide to packaging suitability for performing QPS treatments.
The high-risk plant products must be:
- treated offshore using a controlled atmosphere treatment at one of the rates in Table 4
- accompanied by a controlled atmosphere treatment certificate
- accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate
- accompanied by an import permit. Please include the following details in your permit application:
- controlled atmosphere treatment rate that will be used
- name and contact details of the treatment provider
- details of any government registration or approvals to treat goods for export
- type/brand of controlled atmosphere treatment system
- how the plant products are packaged for treatment.
The treatment and the treatment certificate must meet the requirements of the Controlled Atmosphere Treatment Methodology.
Table 4: Controlled Atmosphere Treatments: Atmospheric pressure rates
| Temperature | Concentration | Pressure | Minimum Exposure period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25°C or above | Carbon dioxide (CO2) - 80% or above | Normal atmospheric pressure | 28 consecutive days (672 hours) |
| Greater than or equal to 25°C and less than 28°C | Oxygen (O2) - 1% or less | Normal atmospheric pressure | 22 consecutive days (528 hours) |
| 28°C or above | Oxygen (O2) - 1% or less | Normal atmospheric pressure | 12 consecutive days (288 hours) |
Notes: The temperature must be for the enclosure and the products.
Packaging requirements for an effective treatment
To ensure the treatment effectively treats the products, the products must be treated either:
- in gas permeable packaging; OR
- prior to being packaged; OR
- with any impermeable packaging open during fumigation.
Examples of gas permeable packaging include:
- woven fabrics and plastics that are not lined/laminated with impermeable materials
- dry cloth
- perforated plastics or cellophane that meet the perforation requirements of the Controlled Atmosphere Treatment Methodology
- paper and cardboard that is not waxed, lined, laminated or painted.
Examples of non-permeable packaging include:
- solid plastic or cellophane (including sheets, bags, pouches, films, wraps)
- woven fabrics and plastics that are lined, coated or laminated with impermeable materials
- paper and cardboard that is waxed, lined, laminated, or painted
- sealed pouches, tins and cans
- sealed glass jars and bottles.
See our packaging suitability guide for more information: Guide to packaging suitability for performing QPS treatments.
Recognising that our approved treatment options may not be feasible for some products and pathways, we have approved the alternative treatment option of controlled atmosphere treatments. We are committed to providing additional alternative treatment options where possible and as such, we are exploring and will continue to consider other alternatives.
We welcome submissions on alternatives. Alternative treatment options must be proven to be effective against all life stages of khapra beetle. For us to consider an alternative treatment option, the submission must include:
- a treatment targeted at the diapausing larvae stage of khapra beetle (as this is the most difficult life stage to kill)
- efficacy data demonstrating effectiveness of the treatment
- independently validated results.
If you would like to submit an alternative treatment option for our consideration, please contact us via email imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email with ‘Plant Tier 2 – khapra urgent actions’).
The treatment must be completed within 21 days of export. To demonstrate compliance with this requirement, the date of export (as indicated on an air waybill, bill of lading, sealing declaration, gate in gate out certificate or forwarder’s cargo receipt) must be within 21 days of the goods being treated (as indicated on the treatment certificate).
Note: under the department’s Minimum documentary and import declaration requirements policy, a consignment is considered to be exported either when it is:
- lodged with the freight forwarder, shipping company/airline, charter operator or an appointed agent in the place of origin, for ultimate destination in an Australian territory, OR
- shipped on board the vessel for an ultimate destination in an Australian territory, OR
- packed in a container and sealed in preparation for transport for an ultimate destination in an Australia territory.
As outlined in Table 1 above, all high-risk plant products imported via high-value sea and air freight require phytosanitary certification under Phase 3 of the khapra beetle measures. The phytosanitary certificate must include an additional declaration, as detailed below.
Khapra beetle country of export
If the products are to be exported from a khapra beetle target risk country, the following information applies.
The declarations required on the phytosanitary certificate are dependent on the treatment type used to treat the products.
Table 5: Additional declarations that are required on the phytosanitary certificate for high-risk plant products exported from khapra beetle target risk countries
| Treatment type | Additional phytosanitary certificate declarations required |
|---|---|
| Methyl Bromide | The following declarations are required:
AND
|
| Heat Treatment | The following declarations are required:
|
| Controlled Atmosphere Treatments | The following declarations are required:
AND
|
All other countries
If the products are to be exported from any other country, i.e. a country not listed as khapra beetle target risk country, the following information applies.
All high-risk plant products must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that includes the following additional declaration:
“Representative samples were inspected and found free from evidence of any species of Trogoderma (whether live, dead or exuviae) in Australia’s list of Trogoderma species of biosecurity concern”.
| Document | File size |
|---|---|
| Unaccompanied Personal Effects and Low Value Freight Infographic PDF | 909 KB |
| Unaccompanied Personal Effects and Low Value Freight Infographic DOCX | 1.6 MB |
| Mail and Traveller Infographic PDF | 789 KB |
| Mail and Traveller Infographic DOCX | 3.7 MB |
| Mail Infographic PDF | 553 KB |
| Mail Infographic DOCX | 1.3 MB |
| Traveller Infographic PDF | 1.1 MB |
| Traveller Infographic DOCX | 1.4 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.