Changes

The department is currently amending import permit conditions, and thereby associated health certificate statements, for dairy products from approved countries. This includes:

• bovine, ovine and/or caprine dairy and,
• cheese and butter

Health certificate statements regarding disease freedom status of the countries of origin and manufacture will no longer rely on OIE recognition, or adherence to OIE standards. Instead, health certificates will need to state that countries are: 'approved by the Australian Director of Biosecurity as free from foot and mouth disease and/or lumpy skin disease and/or sheep pox and goat pox .'
[The permit will specify the relevant diseases.]

New health certificates for bovine dairy products (excluding cheese and butter) will also require a statement that the dairy ingredients were manufactured in countries which are approved by the Australian Director of Biosecurity as free from lumpy skin disease (LSD). Please note:

• The statement regarding the LSD status of the country of manufacture can be absent from existing health certificates.
• However, it is still a requirement that the country of manufacture is recognised by the department as LSD-free, as stipulated in the import conditions.

To facilitate the transition period between existing health certificates and new health certificates, import conditions have been updated to include the option, for health certificate statements regarding the disease freedom status of the countries of origin and manufacture, to attest to either OIE recognition and/or approval by the Australian Director of Biosecurity.

Import permits with the old statements will still be valid until their expiry date, even when presented with a new health certificate. The department will also continue to accept existing health certificates with OIE statements until further notice.

An updated BICON alert will be released when this transition is complete.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers of dairy and Assessment Services Group.

Further information:
Disease-free Country Lists are prepared by the Director of Biosecurity and published on the Agriculture Department’s website.
Please contact the Animal and Biological Imports Branch on 1800 900 090 or email imports@agriculture.gov.au .