Importing Dirty Machinery into Australia

Failure to adhere to cleaning guidelines for imported machinery can result in hefty fines and legal consequences, including the right of the government to re-export the machinery at the importer's expense.

We have seen an increase in the importation of construction equipment, agricultural machinery and other types of machinery into Australia. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) laws and regulations are in place to ensure the safety, quality, and environmental impact of all imported items.

Protecting Australia’s biosecurity is something ALL importers must adhere to.

NMT Shipping communicate between clients and DAFF to ensure laws and regulations are followed correctly – some of these steps can be very complex, so let our experienced staff guide you through this process.

If you’re planning to import machinery, you must ensure it is cleaned prior to shipping the machinery to Australia. Dismantling complex machinery is typically required to ensure a thorough clean. Quarantine inspections will check this. Additional cleaning after inspection may incur extra costs.

What is Biosecurity Risk Material (BRM)?

Biosecurity risk material is animal and plant material (dead or alive) on the machine - including residues, soil material and food. Examples of BRM: pollen, seeds (dormant or sprouted), leaves, twigs, branches, sticks, grass, flowers (and flower parts), mould, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), beetles, bees, snails, nests, shells, rodents, birds, reptiles, faeces, feathers, dirt, mud, gravel, sand, fruit, peels, wrappers, etc. are all biosecurity risk materials.

Why is BRM important?

Biosecurity risk material can be found on new and used machinery imported into Australia if they are not cleaned as per DAFF requirements prior to shipping. Exotic seeds and invasive pests/diseases could greatly impact the Australian environment, the agricultural industry and our local communities. New machinery can become contaminated during (inadequate) loading procedures or pre-shipment field tests.

Machinery Discharge and Inspection

When your machinery is unloaded from the vessel via RoRo, container, crate or pallet it is placed into quarantine to await inspection by DAFF biosecurity officers. If nil BRM is found by the inspector, and there is sufficient access to fully inspect the machine, then the machine may be released at the inspection point. However, if there is insufficient access to perform a thorough inspection, the inspecting officer may order the machine for cleaning (regardless of whether they can see BRM or not). Once inspection has passed and all costs are settled, the machinery can be collected (or delivered).

When BRM is Found on Machinery

An assessment of your machinery will take place if contamination is identified by DAFF. This means increased surveillance and a thorough inspection specific to your machine. The vehicle exterior, undercarriage, wheel arches, engine bay, engine cowl, rubber seals and other hard-to-reach places will all be inspected on the machine. If biosecurity risk material is found, the machinery is ordered for quarantine cleaning. Once the machinery has been inspected, cleaned, reinspected and approved it is ready for decontamination and release from quarantine.

High Volume of BRM on Machinery

If the machine is heavily contaminated by BRM, it is likely to be re-exported - regardless of who is at fault.

The machinery will then require washing overseas and re-importation with all the original import quarantine requirements, adding further costs and time delays for the importer (or owner of the machine).

The Consequences

If BRM are not minimised by offshore manufacturers/wash bays,
there can be several impacts, including:

- new vehicles are held at the wharf awaiting inspection;
- increased surveillance for all vehicles;
- wharf congestion (vessels are unable to unload);
- port/depot storage fees;
- tarp fee for transporting machine from port to wash bay;
- 100% inspection charges for the same make and model (i.e. when seed contamination is found)
- decontamination/re-inspection charges;
- financial cost of machinery delivery delay (machinery not available in AU for use/sale);
- machinery not available for intended use (at intended time);
- export freight cost (if machine fails inspection and is automatically exported by DAFF);
- tarp fee for covering used machinery exports;
- overseas cleaning cost;
- secondary import freight cost.

Australian port terminals are not built to facilitate high volumes of biosecurity decontamination. If the DAFF guidelines for machinery (and other cargo) are not followed, it can cause delays for everyone - leading to increased costs, port congestion, restricting shipping schedule timelines and bottlenecking the supply chain (Australia-wide and globally).

What Can You Do?

Before importing machinery, discuss shipment specifics and possible cleaning solutions available with your NMT Shipping representative;

- Identify potential biosecurity risks for your machinery;
Implement control measures:
- cover radiators, grilles and vents during transportation;
- use enclosed carriage trailers (reduce contamination likelihood/impact);
- avoid using protective coatings, fluid film and no sticky surfaces that contaminants can adhere to;
- conduct inspections before loading;
- utilise biosecurity-compliant solutions for contaminated vehicles at the Port of Loading.

Have machinery ready to import?
We also arrange machinery inspections Australia-wide.
Discuss your requirements with your local NMT representative.