Search

Since its previous Trade Policy Review in 2011, Australia has maintained the openness of its trade regime, which is to a large extent due to the exemplary transparency in trade and related policy. While no major unilateral liberalization has been undertaken, there have been policy changes in various areas, including: tariff concessions, biosecurity, anti-dumping and countervailing actions, and intellectual property rights.

The Australian Government introduced the Biosecurity Bill in 2014 to replace the Quarantine Act 1908. The Biosecurity Bill simplifies Australia's biosecurity laws while maintaining the standard of protection for human, animal, plant life and the environment. The Australian Department of Agriculture provides further advice on the Biosecurity Bill 2014 at: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecuritylegislation.

(...) New legislation was prepared to replace the more than century old Quarantine Act 1908 and ensure the transition from non risk based rigid intervention targets to a flexible risk‑return approach. The Biosecurity Bill 2012 and Inspector General of Biosecurity Bill 2012 were introduced into Parliament on 28 November 2012 but as The House of Representatives was dissolved on 5 August 2013, the Bills lapsed; they were also notified to the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in July 2012 and Australia provided responses to the questions raised by Members. On 7 July 2014 the Minister for Agriculture announced plans to progress with a Biosecurity Bill 2014, introduced to Parliament on 27 November 2014 and notified to the WTO. The objective of the Bill is to simplify and streamline biosecurity laws whilst still ensuring the high standard of protection of Australia's human, environmental and animal health expected by the community. Subject to the passing of the Biosecurity Bill a repeal of the Quarantine Act of 1908 would not affect the validity of existing import risk analyses (IRAs) (section 3.2.7.2.3), nor would it require a biosecurity impact risk Analysis to be completed where an Import Risk Analysis already exists. Import permits issued under the Quarantine Act would remain valid for the duration of the permit. An amount of $A 20 million is to be delivered over four years, starting in 2014/15, to strengthen biosecurity and quarantine arrangements.

Exports and/or production of certain dairy, grain, horticulture, livestock, and wine/grape commodities remain subject to over 90 different non ad valorem (except for sheep, lamb, deer velvet, and wine) levies. These levies are administered, collected, and distributed by the Department of Agriculture on behalf of primary industries to 19 levy recipient bodies which in turn service 54 industry representative bodies.[19] (...)

[19] Agricultural levies and export charges (requested by industry) are in place to fund research and development, marketing, residue-testing, plant and animal biosecurity programmes and emergency responses for industry (Department of Agriculture online information. Viewed at: http://www.daff.gov.au/agriculture-food/levies/publications; and Department of Agriculture, 2013).

Since 2007, Australia's annual Time Release Studies (TRS) have consistently shown that its border agencies are not an impediment to trade. (...) Impediments range from incomplete reporting to goods that require inspection or biosecurity treatment (section 3.2.7.2.2). (…)

The Australian Government examined import risk analysis (IRA) processes in 2014 to ensure arrangements are sufficiently robust to minimise the risk of exotic pests and disease incursions in Australia. The Department of Agriculture sought input from stakeholders and trading partners on specific elements of the IRA process. Recommendations for administrative and regulatory improvements are being considered in the context of developing regulations and policies for import risk analyses under the Biosecurity Bill 2014.

(…) Regulated risk analyses, non-regulated risk analyses and reviews of existing policy released as drafts but not yet finalised between 2011 and August 2014, include: (…) review of gamma irradiation as a treatment to address pathogens of animal biosecurity concern.

Import prohibitions and restrictions, in the form of generally strict quarantine or technical requirements, have remained in place to preserve, inter alia, human, animal or plant life or health, the environment, safety, or security. (...)

Import prohibitions and restrictions in the form of generally strict quarantine or technical requirements have remained in place to preserve, inter alia, human, animal or plant life or health, the environment, safety, or security. These are considered necessary to meet Australia's relevant appropriate level of protection (ALOP). (...)

Import prohibitions or restrictions are applied for various reasons, including public health or safety concerns, animal and plant life, environmental conservation, security, and international commitments. (…)