Testing Kits
In recent days, the Australian Border Force (ABF) has intercepted hundreds of COVID-19 testing kits at the border amid concerns they could pose a serious risk to the public. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has taken measures to facilitate the legal importation, manufacture and supply of test kits to ensure Australia has laboratory and point-of-care tests available to detect infections.
Approved COVID-19 tests are designed to be used under the direction of a healthcare professional. Home tests may give a false positive or false negative result, which could be extremely dangerous if relied on.
Accordingly, a new emergency exemption has been made to specify that COVID-19 diagnostic tests (that have not undergone TGA assessment) are only to be imported, manufactured or supplied by, or on behalf of, accredited pathology laboratories i.e. those accredited for claiming to Medicare for approved pathology services.
Designer Bags & Purses from Bali
Importers and consumers are being warned to be vigilant when buying designer bags and purses online after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers found a woman to be importing 129 counterfeit bags, purses and backpacks – mostly Mimco and Louis Vuitton copies – during an examination at Perth International Airport on 06 March 2020. The woman told officers the bags, backpacks and purses were “for family and friendsâ€, but the ABF suspects she was planning to sell them online.
Registered trademarks in Australia protect Mimco and Louis Vuitton brands. Australian law protects intellectual property including trademarks, copyright, and protected insignia such as Olympic and major sporting event indicia and images. The ABF enforces these rights through Australia’s Notice of Objection Scheme, which allows officers to seize importations of counterfeit and pirated goods at the border.
Consumers of counterfeit or pirated goods pay a premium for inferior products, which not only rob legitimate businesses of income, but also threaten the livelihoods of Australian workers and, in some cases, pose real health and safety risks.
Colless Young has a worldwide network designed to handle all your cargo needs and we are well established with our partners in Bali. As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, we offer you correct, professional advice on import requirements and regulations, including Intellectual Property rights. We handle freight and clearance at all major ports and airports around Australia.
