Stink Bug Season - September to April 2018 / 2019

Brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) pose a high biosecurity risk to Australia. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) have finalised the measures to be taken for the upcoming BMSB 2018/2019 season.

We encourage all importers to read and start your discussions with suppliers now to reduce compliance risks and ensure treatment providers your suppliers utilize are on the DAWR approved list of offshore treatment providers.

Please contact your account manager / customs broker if you would like further assistance.

What are Stink Bugs?

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is an exotic pest of high biosecurity concern to Australia because of their tendency to hitchhike, highly mobile nature and the lack of effective lures.

What are the BMSB2018/19 season measures?

You must comply with seasonal measures for certain goods arriving from certain countries that are shipped between 1 September 2018 and 30 April 2019 inclusive.

In order to mitigate any biosecurity threats you can have your containers treated offshore at origin by a treatment provider listed on the approved list of offshore BMSB treatment providers or on arrival here in Australia. (depending on transport mode and commodity).

Details of the seasonal measures for the 2018-19 BSMB season are outlined below. Throughout the season we will continue to review the measures based on detections of BMSB and the risk pathways.

Goods

• Certain goods (target high risk and target risk goods) manufactured, or shipped from the target risk countries as sea cargo.
• Mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as break bulk, in open top containers or on flat rack containers.
• Mandatory offshore or onshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as containerised cargo in sealed six sided containers, such as FCL (full container load), FCX (full container consolidated), LCL (less than container load) and FAK (freight of all kinds). 
• Containerised cargo with target high risk goods may be treated on arrival in Australia at the container level. Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment.
• Export or destruction of target high risk goods requiring mandatory offshore treatment and arriving untreated, or treated by an unapproved treatment provider, unless exceptional circumstances are granted.
• Target risk goods will be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection and will be directed for onshore treatment if BMSB is detected.
• Random inspection of goods after treatment to validate the effectiveness of treatments.
• Random inspection of goods from all other emerging BMSB risk countries
• All goods must still meet standard import conditions in BICON.

Target risk countries

Any target high risk or target risk goods manufactured in, or shipped from these countries are subject to the BMSB seasonal measures.

Any vessel that tranships or loads goods from these countries are also subject to heightened vessel surveillance.

• United States of America
• Italy
• Germany
• France
• Russia
• Greece
• Hungary
• Romania
• Georgia
• Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied).

 

 

Target high risk goods

Goods in this category require mandatory treatment for BMSB risk.

All tariffs under the following chapters are categorised as target high risk goods.

36 Explosives, pyrotechnics	74 Copper	84 Machinery
44 Wood	75 Nickel	85 Electrical machinery
45 Cork	76 Aluminium	86 Railway locos
57 Carpets	78 Lead	87 Vehicles
68 Stone, cement	79 Zinc	88 Aircraft
69 Ceramics	80 Tin	89 Ships
70 Glass	81 Base metals	93 Arms, ammunition
72 Steel, iron	82 Tools, cutlery
73 Steel articles	83 Base metal

Target risk goods

Goods in this category will be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection. If BMSB is detected the goods will be directed for onshore treatment.

All tariffs under the following chapters are categorised as target risk goods.

25 Salt, minerals	31 Fertilisers	47 Wood pulp
26 Ores, slag, ash	38 Chemical products	48 Paper, cardboard
27 Fuel oils	39 Plastics	49 Printed matter
28 Inorganic chemicals	40 Tyres, rubber	56 Wadding, felt
29 Organic chemicals	46 Straw, basket ware

 

 

 

All other goods

BMSB seasonal measures do not apply to goods not identified as ‘target high risk’ and ‘target risk’. However, these goods may be subject to the measures if they are part of a consignment that contains target high risk and target risk goods.

Treatment options

• Heat treatment
• Methyl bromide fumigation
• Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation

Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme

The Offshore Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) Treatment Providers Scheme (the scheme) sets out the department’s registration and compliance requirements for BMSB treatment providers.

Treatment providers who meet the requirements of the scheme will be added to our approved list of offshore BMSB treatment providers.

 

 

More information can be found on the DAWR website.

• BMSB Seasonal measures 2018/19
• Preparing to import during the BMSB season