12/9/2017

To our valued customers, 

Please be advised that, based on industry feedback and recommendations from the Import Conditions Review for timber and timber products, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources ( DAWR ) have increased the time allowed between offshore treatment (ie.  heat, fumigation or irradiation methods)and export for manufactured wooden articles from 21 days to 6 months.  This additional time between treatment and export is aimed at assisting manufacturers/suppliers to be able to effectively treat the goods at an appropriate time during their manufacture. However, to account for this increase in time between treatment and export, importers need to provide assurance that goods have not been infested with pests after treatment. 

Where goods have not been “exported” on the same day they were treated, a newly implemented “storage declaration” will be required to demonstrate that the treated goods have been stored appropriately after treatment to avoid re-infestation. The declaration must be presented on a manufacturer’s declaration or supplier’s declaration and include the following statement :-

 

"The <<insert product name/description>> has been stored in an appropriate way to minimise the risk of infestation or contamination by pests of biosecurity concern between the date that the goods *were treated/*entered the facility, and when the goods *were exported/*left the facility.”

*use applicable phrase.

 

 Alternatively the following may be presented on an Exporter’s declaration :-

“The <<insert product name/description>> were stored after treatment at the following locations in an appropriate way to minimise the risk of infestation or contamination by pests of biosecurity concern:

<<list the following information about each product line: country of origin, the storage locations (address) and the dates the items were at each specific location>> 

The goods arrived in the country of export free of biosecurity concern and were stored at << insert last point of storage location>> in an appropriate way that prevented infestation or contamination.” 

 

Please remember that any manufacturer, supplier or exporter declaration must contain a consignment link ( eg. Bill of Lading no., container no, commercial invoice no. ).

Where goods have been “exported” on the same day they were treated, the above mentioned declaration will not be required. Please be aware that the DAWR consider a consignment to be “exported” when it is packed in a container and sealed in preparation for export. For example, when consignments in a container are treated and the container is then sealed, it is considered to be exported which means the date of treatment and date of export match.  The inclusion of a container number on the fumigation certificate will be taken to indicate this scenario.

The DAWR’s Assessment Service Group have been accepting fumigation certificates for FCL containers as the evidence of treatment in the container and date of export and this will continue despite the extension period from 21 day to 6 months.

For the majority of BRi customers a storage declaration will not be required as their products are already treated inside a packed container.  Please be aware though, that should your supplier arrange to have your products treated and then stored for any length of time less than six months, the treatment certificate will need to be accompanied by a storage declaration as outlined above. Clients operating under such an arrangement will be contacted.

Please feel free to contact our Customs team should you have any queries in relation to this matter.

 

Keeping you updated,

BRi Customs Department

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