On 8 September 2016, the Australian Border Force released Notice 2016/30 which will have a wide-reaching impact on many importers.
A copy of the Notice for your reference as per following link – www.border.gov.au/Customsnotices/Documents/2016-30.pdf
Effective immediately, all customs brokers are required to make a declaration in relation to a large number of tariff classifications confirming that goods being imported under these classifications do not contain asbestos.
It is likely that this will, in fact, be the case. In the scenario where the the broker will answer “no” to this question, proper due diligence needs to be carried out, and importers/suppliers will need to provide assurances that the imported goods do not contain asbestos.
This may be as simple as providing an email confirmation in some cases and others, it may require testing and approval from a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) recognised body.
We will endeavour to provide as much guidance as possible in this regard, and we anticipate that our Customs Brokers will need to assess the impact on a consignment-by-consignment basis. We may be in contact with you to request further information or confirmation regarding Asbestos in particular products/tariff classifications.
In the meantime, should you have any questions or concerns about the matter please contact me, or Brad O’Brien (0438 047 226).
We are happy to discuss your specific requirements under the new provisions in further detail.
