The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), has this week issued Industry Advice Notice (IAN) no. 187-2021: Commencement of the 2021-22 Brown marmorated stinkbug (BMSB) risk season – 1 September. It is directed to the attention of Australian importers, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and shipping agents.
For the 2021-22 BMSB risk season, seasonal measures will apply to:
– targeted goods manufactured in, or shipped from target risk countries, and
 – vessels that berth at, load or tranship from target risk countries.
The measures apply to goods that are shipped between 01 September 2021 and 30 April 2022 (inclusive).
Poland has been added as a target risk country. Malta has been added as an emerging risk country.
Safeguarding
DAWE advises that the Safeguarding Arrangements Scheme is available for the 2021-22 BMSB Season. The scheme offers an alternative clearance pathway for goods imported as sea cargo in six hard sided shipping containers during the BMSB risk season.To assist applicants, the application form has been slimmed down and improved.
New minimum requirements to be considered for the Safeguarding Arrangement Scheme have been highlighted such as indoor storage between manufacturing and exportation, and the goods must now be transported in a fully enclosed six hard sided container.
Offshore Treatment Providers Scheme
DAWE, along withthe New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries will again manage the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme aligning treatment options, rates and compliance requirements.
All BMSB treatment providers in target risk countries must be registered under the scheme to be able to conduct BMSB treatments. Treatments conducted by an unapproved treatment provider in a target risk country will not be recognised as valid and will be referred for intervention on arrival.
BMSB is not found in Australia and needs to be kept out. It could severely impact our agricultural industries. Juveniles and adults feed on, and can severely damage, fruit and vegetable crops, rendering them unsellable or reducing production yields. The stink bug pest can arrive in Australia on cargo and containers shipped between September and April each year. This coincides with autumn and winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, Colless Young handles all your quarantine treatments, including fumigation, economically and professionally. Based in Brisbane, we provide a complete range of logistics services, both import and export – by air and sea – at all major Australian ports and airports.
