Seasonal Measures for BMSB 2019-2020

Written on the 13 June 2019

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug 2019-2020 Risk Season Update

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has now finalized seasonal measures for 2019-2020.

The season will apply to all cargo sailing on or after 01 September 2019 and arriving into Australia by 31 May 2020.

Below are important updates provided by DAWR that Importers should take note of for the 2019-2020 BMSB season.

DAWR Seasonal measures for Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB)

In response to the rapid expansion of BMSB throughout Europe and North America, the Department (DAWR) has strengthened the seasonal measures to manage risk of BMSB from arriving in Australia for 2019-2020 BMSB risk season.

The department has used a range of scientific, intelligence and evidence based information when setting the measures including data collected from the 2018-2019 BMSB season onshore verification activities.

The department has also worked closely with the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries on the 2019-2020 measures to ensure both Australia and New Zealand's BMSB seasonal measures are consistent across the two countries where possible.

For the 2019-2020 BMSB risk season, measures will apply to:

• Certain goods manufactured in, or shipped from target risk countries, and/or
• vessels that berth at, load or transship from target risk countries from 1st September 2019 and that arrive in Australian territory by 31 May 2020 (inclusive).

As with previous BMSB risk seasons, you must comply with these measures. Throughout the season we (DAWR) will continue to review these measures based on detentions of BMSB and the risk pathways and make any necessary adjustments.

Details of the final seasonal measures for the 2019-2020 BMSB season are outlined below.

The following countries below have been categorized as target risk, any target risk or Target risk goods which are manufactured in, or shipped form the target risk countries will be subject to BMSB seasonal measures.

Any vessel that berths at, loads or transships from he target risk countries are also subject to BMSB seasonal measures.

• Albania
• Andorra
• Armenia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Kosovo
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Montenegro           
• Netherlands
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Switzerland
• Spain
• Turkey
• United States of America
• Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied).

The department will be monitoring a number of emerging risk countries (watch list countries) throughout the season. Target high risk and risk goods from these countries may be subject to random onshore inspections to verify freedom from BMSB contamination.

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

• 36 - Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain 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, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts 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
• 93 - Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories

Break Bulk Goods:

• Mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as break bulk cargo will be required.
• Goods shipped on open top containers or on flat rack containers are also considered to be break bulk.
• Untreated break bulk identified on arrival will be denied discharge and directed for export on arrival, unless exceptional circumstances are applicable.
• AEP processing arrangements for BMSB will be permitted for break bulk goods.

Containerized goods not including LCL consignments and FAK containers:

• Containerized cargo arriving in sealed six hard sided containers with target high risk goods can be treated offshore, or onshore at the container level.
• The department classifies refrigerated containers (operating and non-operating) and high cube hard top sealed containers (ISO45U6/ISO45UP) the same as six hard sided sealed containers.
• Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment. No exemptions for deconsolidation or segregation on arrival will be considered by the department.
• Consideration must be given to ensure containers are packed in a manner that will enable effective onshore treatment at the container level where required, to avoid possible export of the container.
• AEP processing arrangements for BMSB will be permitted for containerized goods shipped as FCL (full container load) and FCX (full container consolidated).

Containerized goods shipped as Less than Container Load (LCL) consignments and Freight of all Kinds (FAK) containers:
LCL and FAK containers with target high risk goods will be managed at the container level for BMSB risk prior to deconsolidation. Once these have been managed, the consignments within these containers will be processed at the Full Import Declaration (FID) level for all other biosecurity intervention (if applicable).

• Offshore treatment of LCL consignments and FAK containers with target high risk goods from target risk countries is preferred.
• Onshore treatment of LCL consignments and FAK containers with target high risk goods from target risk countries will be permitted at the container level.
• To assist in the timely management of LCL and FAK containers, Master Consolidators are required to provide a declaration of the LCL and FAK container no less than five business days prior to the first port of arrival in Australia.
• Where voyage duration is less than five business days, Master Consolidators are encouraged to provide a declaration within 24 hours of embarkation.
• Master Consolidators will be required to declare to the department that the container:
  • - has been treated offshore at the container level or all target high risk goods have been treated, or
  • - is nominated for onshore treatment at the container level, or
  • - does not contain any target high risk goods with supporting documents, or
  • - is nominated to move to an Approved Arrangements site pending further information/reporting to be provided to the department.
• Early reporting will enable timely movement of the container from the wharf, and:
  • if the container has been treated offshore, the container will be permitted to deconsolidate as per normal processes, or
  • if the container has been nominated for onshore treatment, the container will be permitted to move to an Approved Arrangement site for treatment at the container level.
• Reporting provided less than five business days may be subject to delays including having the container held at the wharf pending permission to move to an Approved Arrangement site for assessment of the container.
• Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment. No exemptions for deconsolidation or segregation on arrival will be considered by the department.
• Consideration must be given to ensure containers are packed in a manner that will enable effective onshore treatment at the container level where required, to avoid possible export of the container.
• Where early reporting is not made or the Master Consolidator cannot identify and provide details of the consignments within the container (target high risk, target risk or no risk goods), the container will be held for assessment.
• Assessment of containers that have not been reported early, or pending further information, will only commence after the Master Consolidator provides documentary evidence of all consignments within the container. These assessments will fall under a different client service charter.
• Where the Master Consolidator is unable to provide evidence of all the consignments, the container may be held intact for up to 35 business days, or until evidence is provided that all FIDS are lodged and ready for assessment by the department to be either:
  • released and allowed to deconsolidate (if there are no target high risk goods), or
  • directed for onshore treatment at the container level (if there are target high risk goods), or
  • directed for export if treatment is not preferred (if there are target high risk goods).
• If there is no contact or declaration made by the Master Consolidator of the container after 35 business days, the container will be directed for export.
• Hubbed LCL and FAK containers will be managed for BMSB risk at the container level as if they have been shipped from a target risk country. This includes if a consignment within the container has a target risk country as the origin shipped country and has been hubbed through a non-target risk country. Deconsolidation of these containers for management at the consignment level will not be permitted.

If you have any questions regarding the 2019-2020 BMSB season, please contact your Scorpion International representative.