Among the issues in the Treasurer’s 2018 budget were the following which will have affects on importers, exporters and international freight forwarders.
Air Cargo Security, cargo and mail security package – $296.3 million over 4 years will be spent on strengthening aviation, air cargo and international mail security. Areas covered include – increasing inbound cargo and international mail screening. Increasing the number of ABF officers and Federal police at airports.
Biosecurity Levy Commencing on 1 July 2019 – Port operators (stevedores) will be charged a $10.02 levy per “twenty foot container (or equivalent)†and $1 per tonne of non-containerised cargo. The Department of Agriculture and Water resources (DAWR) expects this Fee to be passed through the supply chain to importers. The funding will be used to help detect, identify and respond to exotic pests and diseases earlier.
Home Affairs-ABF:
Single Window – $10.5 million provided to the Single Window’ project to transform and modernise Australia’s international trade supply chain to deliver more efficient and secure trade processing, by completing a business case for the “single window†for international trade documentation, aimed at creating a “seamless, digital, automated and user-friendly†system.
Trusted Trader – additional benefits for Australian Trusted Traders by removing the requirement to produce country of origin document for goods imported under certain free trade agreements. Home Affairs will issue more information on this in due course.
Illegal Tobacco – strengthening measures to combat illegal tobacco importation. Illegal Tobacco Task Force to be established from 1 July 2018 – basically expanding the current ABF-AFP illegal tobacco taskforce. From 1 July 2019 all Duty on imported tobacco will be payable immediately on importation – not when it is entered for home consumption. From 1 July 2019 commercial importers of tobacco will require a permit. Failure to hold a permit will mean that the tobacco is a prohibited import which can be seized and is forfeited.
