It’s almost that time of year again — BMSB season is fast approaching.
📅 Season Dates & Scope
The 2026–27 BMSB seasonal measures apply to:
- Target high-risk goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries between 1 September and 30 April (inclusive).
- Vessels that berth, load, or tranship from target risk countries during this period.
Note: Goods shipped in iso-tanks and as bulk-in-holds of cargo vessels are exempt from these measures.
🔗 BMSB Seasonal Measures – Target Goods & Countries
📦 What’s New for the 2026–27 Season?
- New Onshore Treatment Option: Ethyl Formate has been added as an approved onshore BMSB treatment option.
- Policy Removals: The Rolled Goods Policy and the Safeguarding Scheme have been officially removed.
- Emerging Risk Focus: While data shows no live populations yet, trap catches have increased significantly.
🚫 Target High-Risk Goods & Countries
Target High-Risk Tariffs
Goods falling under the following tariff chapters require mandatory treatment if sourced from target risk countries:
- Chapters 44 (Wood), 45 (Cork), 57 (Carpets), 68–70 (Stone, Ceramic, Glass)
- Chapters 72–81 (Iron, Steel, and Base Metals)
- Chapters 82–89 (Tools, Machinery, Electrical, Vehicles, Aircraft, and Vessels)
Target Risk Countries
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States of America, and Uzbekistan.
Heightened Vessel Surveillance Only: China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
Emerging Risk Countries (Random Inspections Apply): United Kingdom, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (tariffs 39, 94, and 95 will also be targeted for these origins).
🚢 Shipping Methods & Treatment Rules
- Break Bulk Cargo (Including Flat Racks & Open Tops)
- Must be treated offshore prior to arrival in Australia.
- Onshore treatment is not permitted. Untreated break bulk will be denied discharge or directed for export.
- Shipper Owned Containers (SOCs) and modified FCL containers (e.g., housing generators or filtration plants) are no longer considered sealed six-hard-sided containers and are classified as break bulk.
- Important: If your break bulk arrives untreated, you must answer ‘YES’ to community protection question 642 on your lodgement.
- Containerised Goods (FCL / FCX)
- Can be treated offshore or onshore at the container level.
- Deconsolidation is strictly prohibited prior to container-level treatment.
- Sealing Declarations may be utilized under specific conditions (e.g., goods packed and sealed before 1 September or sealed within 120 hours of offshore treatment). These must be signed at the port of origin.
- LCL & FAK Consignments
- Managed at the container level for BMSB risk prior to deconsolidation. Once cleared, individual consignments are processed normally under the Full Import Declaration (FID) for other biosecurity interventions.
- Airfreight
- Random inspections apply to target high-risk goods shipped via airfreight from the USA and China between 1 September and 30 April. Mandatory treatment is not required for airfreight.
📝 Key Exemptions & Exclusions
- Packed Before 1 September: Goods packed and sealed in a six-hard-sided container in a target risk country prior to 1 September are exempt (requires a valid sealing declaration).
- Stored in Non-Target Countries: Goods moved and stored in a non-target risk country prior to 1 September are out of scope, provided verifiable international trade documentation links the consignment. Supplier/importer declarations are not accepted.
- New, Unused and Not Field Tested (NUFT) Goods: Eligible goods under chapters 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, and 89 manufactured on or after 1 December do not require treatment, backed by a strict NUFT manufacturer’s declaration.
🛈 Need Assistance?
Navigating BMSB compliance can be complex and getting it wrong leads to expensive delays or re-export costs. If you have any questions or need your shipping routes reviewed, please reach out to our experienced Customs team:
