In response to the rapid expansion of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) throughout Europe and North America, the Department of Agriculture (Quarantine) has strengthened the seasonal measures to manage risk of BMSB from arriving by seafreight in Australia for the 2019–20 season.
For the 2019-20 BMSB risk season, measures will apply to certain goods manufactured in, or shipped from target risk countries, and/or vessels that berth at, load or transship from target risk countries from 1st September 2019 and that arrive in Australian territory by 31 May 2020 (inclusive).
In response to the rapid expansion of BMSB through Europe and North America, the department has increased the target risk countries from nine in the 2018-2019 season to 32 in the upcoming 2019-2020 season, which are:
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Albania |
Canada | Italy |
Russia |
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Andorra |
Croatia | Kosovo |
Serbia |
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Armenia |
Czech Republic | Liechtenstein |
Slovakia |
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Austria |
France | Luxembourg |
Slovenia |
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Azerbaijan |
Georgia | Macedonia |
Switzerland |
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Belgium |
Germany | Montenegro |
Spain |
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Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Greece | Netherlands |
Turkey |
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Bulgaria |
Hungary | Romania |
United States of America |
With Japan having heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied.
Will my goods need to be treated if they are from these countries?
Below is a list of high risk goods that must be treated if they are from the above list of countries. If your cargo is shipped as Breakbulk, Open Top Container or Flat Rack Container, it MUST be treated offshore. If cargo isn’t treated prior to importation, then it will need to be re-exported or destroyed.
If your cargo is shipped as FCL, FCX, LCL, FAK, then it MUST be treated offshore OR onshore upon arrival.
High Risk Goods –
Will require mandatory treatment either offshore in the country of origin or onshore on arrival. These high risk goods fall within the following tariff classifications:
36 – Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations
44 – Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal
45 – Cork and articles of cork
57 – Carpets and other textile floor coverings
68 – Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials
69 – Ceramic products – including sub chapters I and II
70 – Glass and glass ware
72 – Iron and steel
73 – Articles of iron or steel
74 – Copper and articles thereof
75 – Nickel and articles thereof
76 – Aluminium and articles thereof
78 – Lead and articles thereof
79 – Zinc and articles thereof
80 – Tin and articles thereof
81 – Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof
82 – Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal
83 – Miscellaneous articles of base metals
84 – Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof
85 – Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles
86 – Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds
87 – Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, and parts and accessories thereof
88 – Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof
89 – Ships, boats and floating structures
93 – Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof
Target Risk Goods – These goods do not require mandatory treatment, but will be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspections. These target risk goods fall within the following tariff classifications:
25 – Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement
26 – Ores, slag and ash
27 – Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
28 – Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes
29 – Organic chemicals
31 – Fertilisers
38 – Miscellaneous chemical products
39 – Plastics and articles thereof
40 – Rubber and articles thereof
46 – Manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting materials; basket ware and wickerwork
47 – Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard
48 – Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard
49 – Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans
56 – Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof
What kind of treatment is required offshore?
Your options are below:
- Heat Treatment – At 56°C or higher for at least 30 minutes. Note: the minimum temperature of the coldest part of the treated goods should reach at least 56 °C for at least 30 minutes. OR 60°C for minimum of 10 mins for individual goods weighing less than 3000kg shipped as break bulk only.
- Methyl Bromide – A dose of 24 g/m3 or above, at 10°C or above, for 12 hours (but less than 24hours) with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m3.
OR
- A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³
- Sulfuryl Fluoride –
Treatment providers not using an approved third party program*:
- A dose of 24 g/m3 or above, at 10°C or above, for 12 hours (but less than 24hours) with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m3.
OR
- A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³
For goods treated and shipped before 1st December 2019, a post treatment window applies to goods after they have been treated and before they are shipped. Goods must either be loaded into a container and sealed, or loaded onto a vessel for export from the target risk country within the defined timeframe of 120 hours (5 days). It is important that all goods are managed to prevent re-contamination or cross contamination. This applies to break bulk cargo and cargo packed in flat racks and open top containers. This time commences after treatment has been completed or when ventilation commences. For Example:
- Fumigation treatment, goods may be treated and treatment seals left intact. The post treatment window will commence when ventilation commences.
- Heat treatment, the post treatment window commences immediately after treatment has been completed.
For 6 sided containers, containers need to be closed as soon as possible after treatment to prevent contamination. Sealing the container must occur within 120 hours after treatment has been completed. There is no additional timeframe for the goods to meet prior to export to Australia once sealed. A sealing declaration may be used and accepted as supporting evidence.
So who does my overseas supplier approach to get my cargo treated?
The Department of Agriculture provides and ever evolving list of approved treatment providers in each country. Please refer to the below link for the most current information.
All treatment providers must re-register for this season to be approved for treatment, so please ensure you keep an eye on this link to ensure the treatment providers used are registered and accepted by Australian Quarantine.
Numerous Offshore Treatment Providers suspended
Last season, there were many offshore treatment providers (especially in Italy) that were suspended by the Department of Agriculture (Quarantine) as they did not comply with the strict BMSB treatment requirements. If you have your goods treated offshore, and the treatment provider is suspended, Quarantine will make you re-treat your shipment on arrival in Fremantle, even if your goods were treated prior to the suspension date. Your goods would have to be entered to Customs and Quarantine before the treatment provider is suspended to avoid re-treatment. Please note that for flat racks, Open Top Containers, and break bulk cargo, if your treatment provider is suspended while your goods are on the water, Quarantine may make you re-export them to another country for fumigation.
Vessels directed to leave Australian Territory
Last season, 3 vessels were directed to leave Australian waters, where the vessel and cargo were re-treated, which caused significant delays and additional costs to these clients. If you are shipping RORO cargo, please keep this in mind when importing during the BMSB season.
Additional Factors to Consider
Quarantine have advised that they will not consider any exemptions to their policy. If your goods contain any items that fall under high risk classifications, it will require mandatory treatment even if its only a sample. Please ensure that your suppliers DO NOT put any samples into your shipments unless you know of them and they do not fall under high risk.
With LCL cargo that gets unpacked and repacked at hubs such as Singapore, please note that you may experience additional delays in Fremantle. Quarantine are wanting the master consolidator of the container to report all cargo that is in the container, its origin, HS Codes, and whether it has been treated offshore to BMSB measures. If they find cargo has not been treated, they will order the whole container for re-treatment.
You also need to consider how your container is packed. If your container has to be fumigated, please ensure you consider the below factors in order for the gas to penetrate through your shipment / goods:
- Target of the fumigation
- Consignment suitability
- Venting of the gas after fumigation
- Free airspace
- Timber thickness and spacing
- Impervious wrappings, coatings and surfaces
- Impervious wrapping perforation requirements
For more information on this, please visit:
Methyl Bromide: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/biosecurity/import/general-info/qtfp/guide-qps-fumigations-methyl-bromide.pdf
Heat Treatment: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/biosecurity/import/general-info/qtfp/heat-treatment-methodology.pdf
Sulfuryl Fluoride: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/biosecurity/import/general-info/qtfp/sf-fumigation-methodology.pdf
Safeguarding Arrangement
Safeguarding arrangements will be introduced for the 2019-20 season as an alternative clearance pathway for goods to enter Australia without treatment. The scheme will allow certain goods and supply chains to be recognised under safeguarding arrangements. Under the scheme, approved participants will be recognised for their ability to manage biosecurity risk offshore, including seasonal hitchhiker pest risk such as BMSB, from the point of manufacture to the point of embarkation. Currently the scheme is be trialled with select industry participants before being opened to all other industry participants.
What will be the measures in place for the next stink bug season
Based on how this year’s stink bug season has been, the Department will review their current measures and make necessary changes that are necessary to keep these Stink Bugs out of Australia. The measures for the next season (From 1st September 2020 to 30th April 2021) will be published closer to the beginning of the new season.
There are some emerging risk countries that the Department is currently operating a low rate of random onshore inspections to monitor their potential risk for future seasons. These emerging countries include: Japan, China, Korea, and Chile.
Also, currently cargo arriving by airfreight is not affected by Quarantine’s current Stink Bug scheme. However, as the risk of invasion by this pest increases, air cargo could be brought under the banner of this scheme, causing major delays at Australian International Airports.
I think I’ve found a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. What do I do?
Collect any live or dead specimens and keep them in a secure container for the department to analyse. SEE. SECURE. REPORT. Hotline 1800 798 636 or by using the online form
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