BMSB: Routine start to the season in Australia/New Zealand
Despite many well-known measures, a. hartrodt points out special novelties.
Thanks to established processes within a. hartrodt's international network, customers with sea freight to Australia and New Zealand can look forward to the new Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season without stress. In both countries, strict import regulations will again apply from September 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024 to prevent the pest from jumping from a ship to Oceania. The special set of rules applies to imports from many European countries, the U.S. and Canada, and certain Asian countries. New Zealand lists 38 high-risk countries, Australia 39. "Uzbekistan is new to this," says Chris Sutcliffe, National Customs Manager at a. hartrodt in Brisbane.
Random onshore inspections of goods from China and the UK
Most of the measures from previous years apply unchanged. China and the United Kingdom will be treated as "emerging risk countries" as before. "Goods from these countries may be subject to random onshore inspections," Chris Sutcliffe explains. Information on regulations in Australia has been clearly compiled by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry also on its website.
Fumigation or heat treatment for sea transports
Chris Sutcliffe notes that many customers are now "very experienced" in dealing with the issue. But he still has a tip: "Exporters need to be careful about shipping non-containerized cargo from target risk countries during BMSB season." Australian ports rigorously reject untreated or improperly treated cargo, he knows from more than four decades in freight forwarding. The same goes for New Zealand: be sure to treat breakbulk, flat rack and open-top containers before arrival. Fumigation or heat treatment as part of sea transport can be organized by a. hartrodt. FCL/LCL in closed containers may also be treated after arrival in Oceania.
For New Zealand, Vanessa Burns, Managing Director at a. hartrodt New Zealand in Auckland, points out a special rule: "All container cargoes from Italy must be handled before export, otherwise New Zealand ports can refuse unloading."