Alerts

What will change:

1. Regulating China for Xylella

Following our previous alert on 2 January 2025 (New report of Xylella fastidiosa in the People’s Republic of China), the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) has determined that Xylella fastidiosa (Xylella) is present in mainland China. As a result, China is now considered to be a high-risk country for Xylella.

From 31 January 2025, enhanced regulatory measures will be introduced for imported host nursery stock from China. This will ensure our import conditions continue to be effective in reducing the risk of Xylella from entering Australia. The measures will require Xylella host nursery stock material (tissue culture and non-tissue culture) from China to undergo increased testing, treatment and pre-export certification.

2. Transitioning to regulate Xylella host nursery stock from plant family level to genus level

Additionally, we are updating our Xylella emergency measures to transition from regulating host nursery stock at the plant family level, to the genus level. The department considers that regulation at genus level provides an appropriate level of biosecurity protection (ALOP) by managing the potential for Xylella to enter via new (unreported) host species, while continuing to safely facilitate trade in line with our international obligations. A list of Xylella host genera is available on the department’s website.

The transition to genus level regulation will be implemented in two phases:

• Phase 1: Recognition of China as a high-risk country for Xylella, with enhanced import regulations applied to host nursery stock genera on 31 January 2025.
• Phase 2: Transition to genus level regulations for all other exporting countries by the end of 2025. Current import conditions will apply until they are updated.
  

3. Revised conditions for Xylella host nursery stock from China

Australia has existing emergency measures in place to manage the risk of Xylella being introduced in imported host plants and some seeds.

The ‘high-risk’ country conditions for nursery stock apply to tissue cultures and non-tissue cultures (rooted plants, cuttings, budwood, some corms and bulbs) being imported from countries where Xylella is known to be present.

The conditions for plants from ‘high-risk’ Xylella countries are:

• Tissue cultures: All tissue cultures must be derived from mother tissue cultures that were found free of Xylella through testing with two polymerase chain reaction tests (PCR) and certified by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the exporting country.

• Non-tissue cultures: All plant material must be treated or tested in accordance with one of the following options: 

  • Hot water treatment (50°C for 45 minutes) at an Approved Arrangement site authorised to perform this treatment, or
  • Post-entry quarantine at the Commonwealth’s post-entry quarantine facility for a minimum of 12 months with all plants tested for Xylella.

Host plants imported from China will be managed under the conditions above, at the host genera level rather than at the host family level.

Consignments in-transit

The revised conditions will apply to consignments that are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued on or after 31 January 2025.

Consignments certified prior to 31 January 2025 will be permitted entry under existing conditions.

Import permits:

The department will contact affected import permit holders by mid-January 2025 to vary existing permits in line with the above changes, at no cost to permit holders.

As we transition to the revised measures, there may be delays to issuing new import permits for affected plant species. We understand that changes can be disruptive for importers and will work closely with stakeholders to minimise impacts to trade where possible. Permit applicants are encouraged to provide information to Plant Import Operations (contact details below) on their import plans to assist with this process.

Information session

We are holding an information session on these changes for interested stakeholders.

• When: 11:00am-12:30pm AEDT, Thursday 23 January 2025.
• Where: Online videoconference (Microsoft Teams Live Event).

Register for this free event through Humantix by selecting the 'Get Tickets' button.

Updates on the next phase of changes

The rollout of genus level regulations to remaining countries is planned to occur by the end of 2025.

We will advise stakeholders on our plans to implement these changes to import conditions, including specific timelines, through additional Industry Advice Notices and BICON Alerts, as well as direct communications with permit holders.

How can you keep updated:

Keep updated by subscribing to any nursery stock BICON case, using these instructions.

Background

• Xylella is Australia’s highest National Priority Plant Pest. It is an invasive bacterial pathogen that causes a devastating disease in over 700 plant species. If it were to enter Australia, it would be practically impossible to eradicate as there is no treatment or cure.
• Australia has biosecurity requirements for many nursery stock plant species that could carry Xylella. We continue to invest significant effort to monitor, review and respond to evolving risks and new reports of novel pathways, new hosts and affected countries. This ensures that import regulations remain fit-for-purpose, effective and consistent with current scientific information.
• Australia's Xylella emergency measures currently regulate all plant species belonging to a plant family that contains at least one confirmed natural host species of Xylella. To date, the department has identified around 112 plant families that contain Xylella hosts. Some of these plant families include large numbers of genera not known to host Xylella.
• In 2022, the department released the draft Xylella pest risk analysis for stakeholder consultation, which recommended changing the taxonomic level of plant regulation from family level to genus level. That is, regulating all plants within a genus that has one or more confirmed natural host species of Xylella instead of regulating all plants within a family that has one or more confirmed natural host species of Xylella.
• The department has since completed an updated risk assessment which considers the latest scientific information, the recommendations in the draft pest risk analysis report and stakeholder submissions. As a result, we are making changes to existing emergency measures to transition conditions from family level regulation for host nursery stock pathways.

Who does this notice affect:

This notice affects importers of live plants (nursery stock) from China, customs brokers and departmental staff.

Further information:

Please contact Plant Import Operations on 1800 900 090 or email imports@aff.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email ‘Plant T2 – Xylella in China’).