Export legislation

Reporting Obligation

Legislation: Phytosanitary Requirements/Restrictions/Prohibitions

Publication Date

01-01-2005

Last Updated

13-09-2021

Short Description

The Australian Government introduced the new export legislation on the 28th of March 2021 as part of a wider initiative to strengthen Australia’s agricultural exports and market access. The new export legislation comprises the: • Export Control Act 2020 (the Act) which sets out the overarching legal framework for the regulation of exported goods including food and agricultural products from Australia. • Export Control Rules 2021 (the Rules) which are the legislative instruments that set out the operational requirements that must be met to export specific goods from Australia (e.g. meat). The Rules must be read in conjunction with the Act. The Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Rules 2021 set the specific requirements for the export of plants and plant products. To enable the transition to the new agricultural export legislation to be properly managed, the Export Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2020 provides transitional provisions and makes consequential amendments. The new legislation streamlines and consolidates the existing export-related requirements included in more than 20 Acts and 40 pieces of delegated legislation. The benefits of the new legislation include that it will: • be more relevant, responsive and efficient for exporters, farmers and other primary producers • provide strong regulation, while removing duplication and ensuring consistency across commodities where possible • clarify and simplify regulatory requirements, such as those that relate to authorised officers. It will also continue to ensure: • exported goods meet importing country requirements • compliance with government and relevant industry standards • traceability through the exports supply chain where required • the integrity of goods and the accuracy of applied trade descriptions and official marks.

For more information on the new export legislation see https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/legislation#export-legislation

Contact for Info