Changes

As notified on 29 March 2022 the following changes have been made to the case:

Kava powder
Kava powder packed in bags greater than 25kg and imported as high value freight must now be accompanied by a valid phytosanitary certificate with the additional declaration: "Representative samples were inspected and found free from evidence of any species of Trogoderma (whether live, dead or exuviae) in Australia’s list of Trogoderma species of biosecurity concern."

Dried kava root and rhizome
New import conditions have been added requiring the goods to be thoroughly dried and inspected on arrival. If the goods are imported as high value freight they must also be accompanied by a valid phytosanitary certificate with the additional declaration: "Representative samples were inspected and found free from evidence of any species of Trogoderma (whether live, dead or exuviae) in Australia’s list of Trogoderma species of biosecurity concern."

Frozen raw kava root and rhizome
New import conditions have been added requiring the goods to be washed and continuously maintained at -18°C or below for a period of at least seven consecutive days and arrive frozen.

The new import conditions relating to Trogoderma only apply to relevant kava products exported on or after 28 April 2022. Guidance on determining the date of export is outlined in Section 9.1 of the department’s Minimum documentary and import declaration requirements policy.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers of kava products and other stakeholders in the import and shipping sectors.

Background:
The department is strengthening the import conditions for commodities that are hosts of khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium). Khapra beetle is a national priority pest for Australia. It is a serious pest of a wide range of stored plant products including grains and has potential to cause significant economic consequences to Australia.

Further information:
For further information, see:

• urgent actions to protect against khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)
• khapra beetle bulletin

For enquiries regarding these changes, please phone 1800 900 090 or email imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email with ‘Plant Tier 2 – khapra urgent actions’).