Received from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service:

New measures for addressing the risk of LCL cargo

From April 2001, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) will be enforcing new requirements to address the risk of LCL (less than a full container lot) cargo. The new measures will require Australian importers (or their agents) to identify the use of wooden (timber) packing materials such as pallets, skids and crates etc within LCL consignments. Any cargo that does utilize wooden packing will require a treatment certificate to facilitate documentary clearance and the prompt release of the goods from Quarantine.

AQIS recognizes that many of the documents used to process FCL (full container load) cargo may not be available for LCL cargo. Accordingly, AQIS has decided that any commercial documents may be used to determine whether timber packaging is included within the LCL consignment and if so, whether that packaging has fulfilled AQIS requirements.

LCL packaging information may be sourced from ‘documents prepared in the normal course of business’ such as – but not limited to:

Ø the commercial invoice;

Ø the bill of lading;

Ø the packing list, and

Ø insurance documents.

Treatment Certificates

Treatment certificates for LCL cargo timber components must include the following features:

Ø The type of treatment used eg: Fumigation

Ø The type of chemical used (if applicable) eg: Methyl Bromide (CH3Br) or Sulphuryl Fluoride (SO2F2)

Ø The concentration of the chemical used

Ø The duration of treatment expressed in hours

Ø The minimum ambient temperature during the treatment expressed in C (Celcius) or F (Fahrenheit)

Ø The container number (or numerical link) see note below and,

Ø The description of cargo

Numerical Link

It is essential that the treatment certificate can be linked to the cargo. A numerical link to the consignment is essential unless there is a direct link to the consignment that has been fumigated.

AQIS will permit the numerical link to be in such format as;

- a bill of lading number

- marks and numbers

- a commercial invoice number

- a preferential tariff certificate number

- a packing list number or

- a container number

Implementation

AQIS, in consultation with the AQIS/Industry Cargo Consultative Committee (AICCC), will implement the new requirements in the 2001 calendar year as follows:

2^nd April 2001 – New treatment requirements come into force. AQIS will monitor the compliance for a period of three months

2^nd July 2001 – Full implementation / enforcement, any consignments not complying with AQIS treatment requirements will be subject to further AQIS action.

More information about the procedures for AQIS Accredited Broker/Importers and Quarantine Approved Premises operators is available on the AQIS web site http://www.affa.gov.au/ourouts/quarantine.litrol., look under the heading information for brokers and commercial importers http://www.aqis.gov.su/docs/border/lcliufo.htm

Peter Bignell (02 6272 5630)

peter.bignell@aqis.gov.au

15 December 2000