Alerts
Permit assessment delays for animal derived food and laboratory products
Effective from 16 August 2019Dear importers and other stakeholders,
As many of you would be aware, in recent months, the department has taken longer than would usually be expected to process some import permit applications for animal derived food and laboratory products.
While the department aims to process permit applications within twenty business days, the process of assessing permit applications can take longer for a number of reasons. Recently, the technical teams responsible for assessing these products have experienced significant unforeseen competing priorities.
To help avoid unnecessary delays, we ask that permit applicants do the following:
When submitting a new application – ensure that all relevant information requested is provided, including having your manufacturer complete the ‘manufacturer’s questionnaire’ if this is requested in the application form.
Where possible, submit permit applications early.
The department is able to forward date permits by up to three months from the date of application, if you inform us you’d like this to happen. This means that if a new permit will be granted before your old permit expires, we make the start date of the new permit up to three months in the future.Please note that, all information supplied in support of the permit application must meet the department’s 'Minimum documentary and import declaration requirements policy'. Often delays occur because documents provided do not meet these requirements.
The department is happy to work with permit applicants who have made a good effort to apply early and there is an exceptional circumstance that may lead us to either prioritise a permit assessment or extend an existing permit’s expiry date. If a permit applicant believes they have an exceptional circumstance, please use the contact information below and provide details of the situation and supporting evidence to substantiate the request.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss the matter please email imports@agriculture.gov.au or call 1800 900 090 (prompt 1, prompt 1).
This Alert applies to the following Cases:
- Ship or aircraft stores for transhipment
- Human milk and human milk products
- Pearls and oysters containing pearls
- Insects and insect products for human consumption
- Microorganisms and infectious agents (and derivatives)
- Starter cultures (and derivatives)
- Animal trophies, articles and handicraft items
- Noodles for human consumption
- Returning Australian products
- Cosmetic and soaps
- Unretorted meat
- Enzymes
- Meals ready to eat (MREs) for human consumption
- Food samples
- Microalgae
- Culture media
- Cell lines
- Feathers
- Animal based flavours or floss
- Cooked items (biscuits, breads, pastries, cakes), uncooked cheesecakes and cooked mooncakes
- Pig meat
- Goods made with rawhide
- Baits, lures, attractants and poisons for agricultural or domestic use
- Egg and egg products for human consumption
- Soil and articles containing soil
- Water
- Animal fluids and tissues (excluding reproductive material)
- Antigens for laboratory use
- Bee products
- Purified antibodies
- Non-viable animal reproductive material
- Human fluids and tissues
- Diagnostic test kits
- Laboratory materials
- Coffee for processing or human consumption
- Natural fibres (and their derivatives) of animal origin
- Dairy