A new legislative framework for agricultural exports commencing from 28 March2021 will consist of the Export Control Act 2020 and a suite of legislativeinstruments, the Export Control Rules 2020 (the Rules).

The Rules set out the operational details for regulating the exports ofcommodities and are based on the existing commodity orders.

This is part of a wider initiative to strengthen Australia’s agriculturalexports and market access – and making export processes easier to understandand comply with.

The department is consulting stakeholders on 12 draft Rules over threetranches, with consultations for tranche 2 (animals, rabbit, ratite and wildgame) opening today.

Deputy Secretary Agricultural Trade Group, David Hazlehurst, said consultationwill meet Australia’s obligations under the WTO Agreement on the Applicationof Sanitary and Phyto Sanitary measures.

“The refinement of any legislation is an ongoing process and there will befurther opportunities to amend our export legislation after it commences, ifwe need to,” Mr Hazlehurst said.

“Consultation on the draft Rules provides our export industries and ourtrading partners with an opportunity to provide feedback on them.

“This will help ensure Australia’s agricultural export legislation is clearand fit for purpose – supporting growth and innovation, while maintaining thestandards trading partners expect.”

Consultations on the draft Rules for commodities included in tranche 1 (eggs,fish, meat, milk, organic goods, plants and poultry meat) are open until 5November 2020.

Consultations on the draft Rules in tranche 3 (wood and miscellaneous) willopen later this year.

Click here to Have Your Say, or for more details, visit Improving agriculturalexport legislation.

Previous Non-compliant puppy factories targeted through new RSPCA NSWtaskforce

Next Looking after animals and pets – metropolitan Melbourne