Container cleanliness has become an important issue in the logistics industry and whether you are an exporter or importer, you need to be aware of your responsibilities.
In recent years, Australia and other countries have witnessed a surge in the global movement of hitchhiker pests. Given the substantial volume of trade transported worldwide in sea containers, the potential risk demands a collective and coordinated response.
In collaboration with Australian universities, research organisations, industry and international counterparts, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is taking significant steps to address the hitchhiker pest risk associated with the sea container pathway. It has been exploring innovative technologies to enhance automatic detection capabilities, researching modifications to sea container design and leading global discussions on comprehensive solutions to mitigate this risk.
Background: Container Cleanliness.
What constitutes a ‘clean’ container? Is it just a visual inspection of the inside and outside of a container, or a more thorough investigation? Some invasive species are easy to detect, sometimes on the outside of the container, and can be removed easily. Others are more difficult to spot and can live for several years without food and hide undetected in cracks and under the floors of sea containers. To assess what risk of infestation is present in each import container can be difficult.
Australian Standards.
Australia has one of the world’s strictest biosecurity regulations – and for good reason. It has been estimated that if a harmful infestation occurs, it could cost the Australian agricultural sector billions of dollars and damage our reputation as a supplier of clean agricultural products. To prevent hitchhiker pests from entering our country, DAFF has a biosecurity section which manages the risk of these and other harmful biological matter entering the country.
Pests such as the giant African snail, red fire ants, African swine fever, foot and mouth disease, insects such as the khapra beetle and the brown marmorated stink bug, and other incursions such as harmful seeds can, and sometimes do occur, at our airports and sea borders.
The exporter is generally held to be the responsible party for container cleanliness.
Exporters are advised to pack clean goods into clean containers, using clean handling equipment when packing.
Before packing goods, clean the container with a vacuum, sweep, or pressure washer. Pressure washing is effective at removing dirt and grime from the walls, ceilings, and corners. It can also help you detect damage like dents and cracks.
Tips for Importers
Advise your supplier to have all timber used as packaging in the container treated in an approved method. If timber dunnage has been used in the loading of the containerised cargo, accredited persons must have a valid treatment certificate to satisfy DAFF’s clearance requirements.
Your shippers or their agents should ensure your container is free of contamination by soil, grain, snails or plant and animal material. The inside and outside of the container should be cleaned before shipment to help facilitate clearance on arrival. A cleanliness declaration is required for all containerised cargo imported into Australia. All contaminated containers and cargo detected here are treated before release, so delays might occur and charges apply.
Provide your Customs Broker with a packing declaration to facilitate clearance of containers. The packing declaration should provide details of container cleanliness and whether straw and timber have been used as packing materials.
– tell the shipper not to use straw packing – it’s prohibited.
– they must not use timber with bark attached. Bark is prohibited and needs to be removed and destroyed.
Talk to us here at Colless Young for the complete rundown on clean containers and biosecurity requirements.
Contact Andrew, email enq@collessyoung.com.au Tel: +61 7 3890 0800.
