Seasonal measures for the 2021-22 brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) risk season for goods shipped as ocean freight to Australia

Why?       Due to the rapid expansion of BMSB in the previous season throughout Europe & North America.

How?       DAWE uses a range of scientific, intelligence & evidence-based information, and data collected from 2020/2021 Season onshore verification activities.

When?    The measures apply to certain goods shipped from 1 September 2021 & 30 April 2022, that will require treatment regardless of arrival date. 

NOTE: The shipped on board date, as indicated on the ocean bill of lading, is the date used to determine when goods have been shipped.  “Gate in” dates & times will not be accepted.

What?    Any target high risk or target risk goods which are manufactured in or shipped from the target risk countries will be subject to the BMSB seasonal measures. Any vessel that berths at, loads or tranships from the target risk countries is also subject to the BMSB seasonal measures.

• High Risk Target Countries 38*
  *Including Japan heightened vessel surveillance as the only measure. Mandatory treatment measures apply to Target High Risk Goods
  List of high risk countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan*, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America.  
• Emerging Risk Countries (5)
  Belarus, Malta, Sweden, United Kingdom and Chile
  May be selected for random onshore inspections
• Air Cargo
  Due to detections of live BMSB in the previous season, Air Cargo arriving between 1 September & 30 November 2021 (inclusive) from USA & ITALY containing goods of target high Risk chapters 84, 85, 86 & 87 will be subject to random Verification inspections on arriva
• Important Note:
  Australia & New Zealand will not be conducting BMSB treatments for each other.
  For example, if goods are exported from NZ for not meeting BMSB conditions, they will not be permitted to be treated in AU, and Vice versa.

Vessel surveillance and inspections

All roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vessels will be subject to heightened vessel surveillance during the season. All ro-ro vessels that berth at, load or tranship in target risk countries from 1 September 2021 to 30 April 2022 (inclusive)
and that arrive in Australian will be required to:

• conduct self-inspections and respond to specific questions as part of the pre-arrival reporting requirements, and 
• undergo a mandatory seasonal pest inspection on arrival in Australia.

Goods

A full list of the tariffs for the 2021–22 season is available on the last page of this document.

• Target high risk goods will require mandatory treatment 
• Target risk goods will not require mandatory treatment 
• All target high risk and target risk goods will be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection

Mandatory offshore treatment 
Break bulk consignments 

Mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as break bulk cargo, including goods shipped in open top containers or on flat rack containers, will be required. 

Untreated break bulk will be denied discharge and directed for export on arrival.

Circumstances where goods may not be subject to the seasonal measures:

• Containers packed & sealed prior to 1 September and shipped on board within 21 days after sealing
• Goods stored or transported to non-target risk 
  Countries prior to 1 September (evidence required)
• New, Unused and not Field Tested (NUFT) goods 
  Manufactured from 01/12/2021

NOTE:  all its large, complex components must have also been manufactured on or after 1 December, 2021 and can only be completed by the manufacturer 

Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme 

Offshore treatment providers in target risk countries must 
first register and be approved by the department. Existing treatment providers will also need to re-reregister with the department. Goods that are treated by a treatment provider in a target risk country that is not registered with the scheme will be directed for export or onshore treatment (if permitted).

Mandatory offshore or onshore treatment 

Containerised cargo shipped as LCL and FAK containers 

Mandatory offshore and onshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped in sealed six hard sided containers will be required. LCL and FAK containers with target high risk goods will be managed at the container level for BMSB risk prior to deconsolidation. This is based on the country the HBL 
originates from.

All LCL/FAK are subject to pre-arrival reporting about treatment – pre-treated containers with no risk may be free to deconsolidate and continue in the supply chain, while non-treated risk containers will not be permitted any deconsolidation and treated at the container level, with all consignments. Each container will be managed at its highest risk level (e.g. 1 consignment out of 20 being a risk – all 20 are a risk)

Containers seeking onshore treatment will also be subject to early reporting and will be permitted to move to an Approved Arrangement site for treatment at the container level (deconsolidation or segregation of goods will not be permitted).    
Agriculture Website: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/bmsb

Mandatory offshore or onshore

Containerised cargo (other than LCL and FAK containers) 
Mandatory offshore or onshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped in sealed six hard sided containers will be required. Risk applies to manufacture country / origin of the goods, not only shipped-from country.         

Deconsolidation or segregation of goods will not be permitted.  

Treatment options 
The approved treatment options for BMSB risk are:

• heat treatment, 
• methyl bromide fumigation and 
• sulfuryl fluoride fumigation. 

For information on approved treatment rates, visit   www.agriculture.gov.au/bmsb 

What are my options if my container is deemed not suitable for onshore 
treatment?

Once a department approved (Class12) treatment provider has notified the department that in-container treatment will not be effective, the department must either:

• Direct the goods to an AA Class 4.7 site for a secure unpack to remedy the issues that originally prevented treatment at container level to be carried out. This may include, but is not limited to containers that are packed too tightly or shrink-wrapped cargo that will not allow treatment to be effective.
• Have the goods exported

In either case, the importer will incur substantial additional costs beyond our control 

Safeguarding Arrangements Scheme              

BMSB seasonal measures, a Safeguarding Arrangements Scheme (the scheme) is available to industry stakeholders/importers. The scheme provides an alternate clearance pathway for goods imported as sea cargo during the BMSB risk season.

It also provides recognition of the ability of approved participants to manage seasonal hitchhiker pest risk offshore, from the point of manufacture to the point of embarkation in line with eligibility criteria. For more information on the scheme, visit www.agriculture.gov.au/safeguarding

Target high risk goods*

Goods that fall within the following tariff classifications have been categorised as target high risk goods and will require mandatory treatment for BMSB.

• 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 - including sub chapters I, II, III, IV
• 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, rollingstock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and 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
   *subject to change throughout the season; refer to the Agriculture  Website for latest information       

Target risk goods*

Goods that fall within the following tariff classifications have been categorised as target risk goods and will not require mandatory treatment. Target risk goods will however be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection

• 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 - including sub chapters I, II, III, IV and V
• 29 - Organic chemicals - including sub chapters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIII
• 38 - Miscellaneous chemical products
• 39 - Plastics and articles thereof - – including sub chapters I and II
• 40 - Rubber and articles thereof
• 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

* subject to change throughout the season; refer to the Agriculture Website for latest information     

Goods shipped as a mixture of air & sea cargo

Where target high risk goods are shipped from a target risk country with a mixture of pathways, for example, air cargo to a non-target risk country, and then shipped from that non-target risk country as sea cargo to Australia, the seasonal measures apply to goods that arrive into Australian territory as sea cargo. 

All other goods not listed

For all other goods that are not categorised as target high risk and target risk goods, BMSB seasonal measures do not apply, however, these goods may be subject to the measures if they are part of a container or consignment that contains target high risk or target risk goods. Containerised cargo arriving in sealed six hard sided containers with target high risk goods can be treated onshore at the container level. Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment.      

Managing expected onshore delays

Importers should note the policy to allow onshore treatment of containers is expected to result in increased clearance delays at the border.  These delays are due to increased volumes of cargo being referred into the system, and limited onshore Capacity to storage facilities at approved arrangement sites and onshore treatment provider premises.

Further information

For the latest information regarding the 2021–22 BMSB seasonal measures including preparing to import goods and what happens to goods on arrival, visit the BMSB seasonal measures webpage www.agriculture.gov.au/bmsb or contact your DB Schenker hotline:  au.dl.mel.bmsb-anz@dbschenker.com.  All information is subject to change without notice as the season Progresses and DAWE’s collection of intelligence on risk profiles.

Be biosecurity aware
See. Secure. Report

Everyone has a role in protecting Australia’s biosecurity

Many reports of suspected biosecurity concerns come from wharf workers, transport operators, Ship’s crew, stevedores, depot staff & importers who report their concerns to the department.  These reports allow Department of Agriculture to investigate and respond quickly to manage the risks and stop pests at the border.

If you see something that could have entered Australia with imported goods, report it to See. Secure. Report on 1800 798 636 or complete the online form:  https://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/report

Contact the DB Schenker team of experts at  au.dl.mel.bmsb-anz@dbschenker.com