Australia Announces Strict Onshore Treatments in Major Biosecurity Crackdown

Chennai:

Port Wings News Network:

Australian biosecurity authorities have suspended or withdrawn 13 Indian fumigation providers from the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS) following critical non-compliance issues, triggering new mandatory onshore treatment rules for affected high-risk imports.

The move targets unacceptable biosecurity risks to Australia, particularly from the khapra beetle, a highly destructive pest.

It directly impacts stakeholders across the import and shipping sectors, including vessel masters, freight forwarders, importers, customs brokers, and Biosecurity Industry Participants.

These changes in status reflect the unacceptable biosecurity risk consignments treated by these providers present to Australia. To manage the risk of consignments certified by these treatment providers, the department considers it necessary to introduce tailored onshore measures for some pathways, in addition to measures outlined in the relevant in-transit policies.

This will affect consignments containing high-risk plant products (e.g. rice, beans, dried chilli, and whole cumin/coriander seed), and sea containers, that are subject to khapra beetle treatment measures, where goods and/or container treatments have been conducted by affected providers.

The department is not satisfied that khapra beetle treatments certified by these providers meet Australia’s biosecurity requirements.

Suspended providers

M/s Kirpal Pest Control (AEI: IN0455MB) – 117-2026

M/s. G. D. Fumigation (AEI: IN0633MB) – 104-2026

M/s DPCS Pest Control (AEI: IN0203MB) – 108-2026

M/s Pest Control Agency (IN0401MB) – 113-2026

M/s Benison Fumigation Services (AEI: IN0455MB) – 102-2026

M/s Aryan Fumigation & Pest Management Services (AEI: IN0584MB) – 105-2026

M/s Deva Singh Sham Singh Exports (AEI: IN0830MB) – 107-2026

Withdrawn providers

M/s CaribEx Agri Care Services Pvt. Ltd (AEI: IN0487MB)

M/s Ved Perkash Goel & Company (AEI: IN0535MB)

M/s Aarav Pest Management (AEI: IN0567MB)

M/s Shiv Shakti Pest Control & Fumigation Services (AEI: IN0692MB)

M/s. RJT Pest Control (AEI: IN0766MB)

M/s. New Ocean Fumigation Services (AEI: IN0809MB)

How will consignments in-transit be managed?

1. Consignments treated by G. D. Fumigation (AEI: IN0633MB) and Kirpal Pest Control (AEI: IN0455MB)

High-risk plant products:

Where a consignment contains high-risk plant products, both the goods and the sea container must undergo onshore treatment to manage the associated khapra beetle risks.

Both the goods and sea container must be capable of being effectively treated onshore. Containers must be treated prior to deconsolidation of goods, ensuring that the configuration of the loaded container allows for effective treatment.

If the goods are suitable for treatment at the point of the consolidated treatment being applied, one treatment can be conducted for both the container and the goods.

If the goods require handling post container treatment to be made suitable, the container must be treated prior to deconsolidation, and then the goods must be treated in a separate treatment once they have been made suitable.

Importers seeking to treat onshore must submit a proposed treatment plan to Imports@aff.gov.au for assessment (include “Plant T2” in the subject line) and receive approval prior to commencement of any treatment.

The application must:

Provide full consignment details and documentation, including all goods within the consignment, entry number, volume, bill of lading number, container number/s, loading and discharge ports, and current consignment status/location.

Provide a detailed description of how goods are packaged, and confirmation of whether the goods and packaging are suitable, or will be made suitable, for effective fumigation. Details include packaging type and material (including any inner linings of bags). Photos should be provided.

Identify the proposed onshore treatment site/s for the goods and container (AA Classes 4.6 and 12.1) and outline the proposed end-to-end treatment arrangements.

Following treatment, the high-risk goods will be inspected by the department.

If the importer cannot satisfy the department that effective onshore treatment of both the goods and container can be achieved, the consignment may be directed for export.

Onshore destruction as biosecurity waste may be considered dependent on an approved transport and destruction plan being in place.

Sea containers that do not contain high-risk plant products:

Where a sea container does not contain high-risk plant products but is subject to khapra beetle measures (i.e. containers destined for unpack in a khapra risk postcode), one of the following options will apply:

Onshore treatment of the packed container prior to rural tailgate inspection (where the configuration of the load inside the container allows for effective treatment), or

Full unpack and inspection of external packaging of goods at an Approved Arrangement in a metropolitan postcode area.

Consignments treated by these providers for all other risk pathways will be managed in accordance with the onshore outcomes captured in BICON.

If the offshore container treatment has been conducted by an approved provider and it is just the goods that have been treated by a provider listed in this notice, onshore treatment of the container will not be required.

Following treatment of the container and external packaging of the goods, the high-risk goods will be inspected by the department.

Sea containers that do not contain high-risk plant products:

Where a sea container does not contain high-risk plant products but is subject to khapra beetle measures (i.e. containers destined for unpack in a khapra risk postcode), one of the following options will apply:

Onshore treatment of the packed container prior to rural tailgate inspection (where the configuration of the load inside the container allows for effective treatment), or

Full unpack and inspection of external packaging of goods at an Approved Arrangement in a metropolitan postcode area.

Consignments treated by these providers for all other risk pathways will be managed in accordance with the onshore outcomes captured in BICON.

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