12 July 2018
Who does this notice affect?
This notice applies to importers and customs agents of medicinal mushrooms, seeds for sowing, dried herb products not for human consumption, timber and timber products, sawdust and woodchips, returning Australian goods of animal and microbiological origin, and various biological commodities.
Importers are advised that the Biosecurity (Prohibited and Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods) Determination 2016, Biosecurity (Prohibited and Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods – Norfolk Island) Determination 2016, Biosecurity (Prohibited and Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods – Christmas Island) Determination 2016 and Biosecurity (Prohibited and Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods – Cocos (Keeling) Islands) Determination 2016 (Goods Determinations) are being amended. As a result, from 25 July 2018 certain commodities will have different import conditions. If you intend to import goods into Australia Territory, you must comply with the new legislation.
What is changing?
The following goods will no longer require an import permit:
- Permitted medicinal mushrooms in the form of tablets, capsules, liquid, injectable vials, ointments, and as an ingredient in food or beverage including tea bags
- Additional species of seed for sowing
- All dried herb products not for human consumption
- Myrtaceous species of timber and timber products
- Sawdust and woodchips in the following scenarios
- Commercially packaged sawdust for alcohol production
- Commercially packaged wood wool
- Commercially packaged wood shavings
- Commercially packaged wood chips equal to or less than 25mm by 25mm by 25 mm
- Commercially packaged sawdust and woodchips treated using departmental approved methods of heat, gamma or ETO treatments.
- Returning Australian goods derived from animal and microbial products (excluding live animals) with intact original Australian Government container seals.
The following ingredients no longer require an import permit for use in veterinary therapeutics and cosmetics for animals:
- Cyclosporin manufactured without using materials of terrestrial animal or avian origin
- Diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) Dextran manufactured without using materials of terrestrial animal or avian origin
- Carminic Acid.
The following goods will require an import permit:
- All non-commercially packaged consignments of sawdust and woodchips.
All goods entering Australia must continue to meet the import conditions published in BICON.
The only amendments that apply to imports into Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are for imports of biological material for certain purposes (Cyclosporin, Diethylaminoethyl Dextran and Carminic acid).
Further information
For further information, please see the biosecurity legislation page on the department’s website. Alternatively, email the Plant Import Operations Branch or Animal and Biological Import Assessments Branch at Imports or phone 1800 900 090. For external territory related queries please contact External Territories.