Alerts

Fresh stone fruit from the USA identified for the compliance-based inspection scheme

Regional officers, importers and brokers are advised that the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is adding fresh, offshore treated stone fruit from the USA to the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme (CBIS) for processing imported plant products.

What has changed?

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is working towards a future compliance-based operating model to increase resource efficiencies and offer cost reductions to importers that demonstrate a high level of compliance. The CBIS allows eligible imports to qualify for a risk-based inspection rate once an importer has established a history of compliance.

Imports of fresh, offshore treated stone fruit from the USA will be eligible for the CBIS as of 28 June 2017. Please note that only consignments that are to be inspected onshore are in scope for the CBIS. Consignments that have been offshore pre-shipment inspected (OPI) are out of scope.

The eligible commodity groups are:

• cherries  (Prunus avium) - (0809.29.00)
  

• other USA stone fruit including:
  

  • apricots (Prunus armeniaca) - (0809.10.00)
    

  • peaches, including nectarines (Prunus persica and P. persica var. nucipersica) - (0809.30.00)
    

  • plums (Prunus salicina) - (0809.40.00)
    

  • fresh interspecific stone fruit hybrids of permitted apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums.
    

The import conditions for fresh USA stone fruit have not changed.

What do I need to do?

Importers and brokers should continue to lodge documentation to the department as per their current practice. When a consignment is lodged in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) in ‘Line mode’ and under one of the eligible tariff codes, you will be prompted to answer profile questions to determine if your consignment is within scope of the scheme.

Please note that only the tariff codes listed above are eligible for the CBIS. Broader stone fruit tariffs (i.e. 0809 and 0809.2) are not eligible. Additionally, only species listed as permitted in BICON are eligible. Stone fruits not permitted in BICON, for example sloes and sour cherries, are excluded.

The assessment for eligibility of imports for the CBIS happens automatically in the Agriculture Import Management System (AIMS) and does not require any additional action.

How does the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme work?

Importers must initially import a minimum number of consecutive lines that pass both their documentation assessment and onshore inspection in order to demonstrate sufficient compliance. For both cherries and stone fruit, this number will be five. After an importer has qualified, only 25% of their subsequent imports will be directed for inspection. This 25% will be randomly selected using automatic rules in AIMS. If an importer fails to present the correct documentation, or their consignment fails inspection then they will return to 100% inspection until they requalify.

Please note that USA stone fruit are being added to the CBIS in two groups: cherries and other eligible stone fruit. This means that five passes on cherry consignments will qualify importers for the 25% inspection rate on cherry consignments only. Similarly, to qualify for reduced inspection on other stone fruit, five passes will need to be achieved for species listed above as ‘Other USA stone fruit’.

All consignments are subject to a documentation assessment before being released by the department, so it is important that you lodge all required documentation for assessment in the Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLs).

Further information

More information will be published on the Compliance-Based Inspection Scheme webpage.

For further information please email Plant Import Operations at imports@agriculture.gov.au (please include ‘Tier 2 – CBIS’ in the subject heading) or phone 1800 900 090.