Mangosteens from Malaysia

We have released a draft report for our risk analysis for fresh mangosteen fruit (Garcinia mangostana) from Malaysia for human consumption.

Risk analysis

When we do a risk analysis, we:

• review the science on pests and diseases of concern
• assess and analyse biosecurity risks
• develop proposed risk management measures, if required
• consult the public on the draft report and then review comments
• publish the final report
• verify that the country can meet the recommended risk management measures
• develop import conditions
• publish import conditions in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

About the risk analysis

We initiated this risk analysis because Malaysia requested market access for fresh mangosteens. Learn more about why we carry out risk analyses and our international obligations.

This risk analysis is being conducted as a review of biosecurity import requirements. This is because we conducted a preliminary assessment of the pests associated with mangosteens from Malaysia and found that:

• the pests of concern are the same, or of the same pest groups, as those pests that have been assessed previously for mangosteens or other horticultural goods
• there are appropriate risk management measures already established for these pests or pest groups.

Draft report

We propose that the importation of commercially produced fresh mangosteen fruit from Malaysia can be permitted subject to a range of biosecurity requirements.

Pests

Twenty-one pests associated with commercially produced fresh mangosteen from Malaysia require risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risks to an acceptable level. These pests are:

• fruit flies: carambola fruit fly (Bactrocera carambolae) and oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis)
• hard scales: cyanotis scale (Aspidiotus excisus), rigid coconut scale (Aspidiotus rigidus), dictyospermum scale (Chrysomphalus dictyospermi), black thread scale (Ischnaspis longirostris) and trilobite scale (Pseudaonidia trilobitiformis)
• mealybugs: Annona mealybug (Dysmicoccus lepelleyi), grey pineapple mealybug (Dysmicoccus neobrevipes), cocoa mealybug (Exallomochlus hispidus), citrus mealybug (Hordeolicoccus heterotrichus), intercepted mealybug (Paracoccus interceptus), mealybug (Paraputo odontomachi), coffee mealybug (Planococcus lilacinus), Pacific mealybug (Planococcus minor), orange-coloured mealybug (Pseudococcus aurantiacus), cryptic mealybug (Pseudococcus cryptus) and mango mealybug (Rastrococcus spinosus)
• dolichoderine ants: cocoa black ant (Dolichoderus thoracicus) and black ant (Technomyrmex butteli)
• thrips: Scirtothrips hitam.

Risk management measures

We propose a range of measures to reduce the risk of these pests arriving in Australia via the fresh mangosteen fruit pathway. These measures are:

• for fruit flies:
  • pest free areas, pest free places of production, or pest free production sites; or
  • non-host status, ensured by fruit quality and maturity requirements; or
  • fruit treatment considered to be effective against fruit flies such as irradiation.
• for hard scales, mealybugs, dolichoderine ants and thrips:
  • fruit treatment considered to be effective against hard scales, mealybugs, dolichoderine ants and thrips such as methyl bromide fumigation or irradiation; or
  • a systems approach considered to be effective in mitigating the risk of hard scales, mealybugs, dolichoderine ants and thrips on mangosteen fruit, and approved by the department.

Make a submission

You are invited to:

• read the draft report
• submit your feedback through Have Your Say.

This consultation closes on 24 August 2026.

Have Your Say

We will consider your feedback in preparing the final report.

Announcement

We announced the commencement of this risk analysis on 31 October 2024.

Trade

Australia-Malaysia trade

Malaysia is an important trading partner for Australia. Malaysia was Australia’s 10th largest trading partner in 2024-2025, with two-way goods and services valued at $34 billion.

Malaysia is also Australia’s 11th largest agriculture, fisheries and forestry export market valued at $2.1 billion in 2025.

Mangosteen industry in Malaysia

Malaysia produced approximately 23,500 tonnes of mangosteens from 3,150 hectares of growing area in 2022.

Malaysia has several export markets for mangosteen including Singapore, China, Hong Kong, the United States of America and Thailand.

In Malaysia, the peak mangosteen season runs from June to August, and the secondary season can run from November to December.

Mangosteen industry in Australia

Mangosteens are grown commercially in Far North Queensland, near Bloomfield, Babinda and Innisfail. There are also small-scale, non-commercial growers around Darwin.

The Australian peak mangosteen season is from November to March.

The relatively small Australian mangosteen industry is currently focused on supplying domestic markets.

Mangosteen imports

Australia currently permits the import of fresh mangosteens from Thailand and Indonesia, provided the biosecurity import conditions are met.

From 2021 to April 2026, Australia has imported about 450 tonnes of fresh mangosteens from Thailand and about 1.3 tonnes from Indonesia.

Next steps

Public consultation will close on 24 August 2026.

After this, we will:

• consider all feedback
• develop and publish a final report.

Your feedback during the consultation period will help inform our final report for mangosteens from Malaysia. We expect to release the final report in mid 2027. Please note that this is an indicative timeline and may be subject to change.

After verifying that Malaysia can meet the risk management measures recommended in the final report, we will develop import conditions. These will be published on our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

Keep informed

Register as a stakeholder

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Contact us

For more information, email imports or phone 1800 900 090 (when prompted, choose option 1, then option 1).