Changes

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has removed Japan from the LSD-free country list and the list of countries approved for the import of bovine fluids and tissues.

These lists are referenced both on active permits and in several BICON import pathways for goods which can be imported into Australia.

The department has contacted any permit holders affected by this change to provide further information about the impact on import conditions for specific goods.

Who does this alert affect:

Pathway Operations Cargo - Assessment; importers of dairy, unretorted meat and bovine fluids and tissues which have been sourced from, manufactured in or exported from countries free from LSD, import brokers

Background:

The department has received notification that cases of lumpy skin disease virus (LSD) have been detected in Japan. To reduce the risk of a potential incursion and help Australia maintain its current LSD-free status, the department has made the following decisions:

Dairy

• Imposed a new condition that dairy from Japan must be processed under a quality assurance program.

Beef

• Imposed new conditions that restrict beef to skeletal muscle meat only (i.e. boneless beef) and require the beef to be processed under a quality assurance program.

Bovine derived animal fluids and tissues

• Restricted imports of bovine fluids and tissues (including non-viable reproductive material) for laboratory use from Japan.

Japan has also been removed from the LSD-free country list and the list of countries approved for the import of bovine fluids and tissues.

If you are preparing a consignment of goods from Japan which references the LSD-free country list or the list of countries approved for the import of bovine fluids and tissues either in your permit or in the BICON import pathway, then you are advised not to dispatch the consignment. If any of these goods are currently in transit to Australia, please contact the department as soon as possible.

Further information:

Please contact the department on 1800 900 090 (prompt 1, prompt 1) or via email at imports@aff.gov.au.