Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Regulations
Updated measures for 2024/25 for Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs ( BMSBs) - A quick summary
The main changes to the BMSBs measures are as follows:
- The addition of China and Republic of Korea to the heightened vessel surveillance list which covers also Japan.
- Introduction of AusTreat for offshore treatment providers. Offshore treatment providers from BMSB target risk countries that intend to conduct treatments during the BMSB season must register under AusTreat.
- Removal of the Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS).
Please refer to Import Industry Advice Notice 190-2024
Joint-measures by Australia and New Zealand to keep out Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs ( BMSBs).
There has been an increasing widespread of the BMSBs throughout Europe and North America. In response to that and to keep these bugs out of their countries, New Zealand and Australia have come together to tighten up their measures to ensure that seasonal measures in place are consistent whenever possible to make compliance easier for vessels carrying cargoes to these countries.
They have introduced a joint ‘Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme’. A list of approved treatment providers for the 2024/25 BMSB risk season is jointly maintained by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Agriculture in Australia and published on both websites.
Note also that the list of targeted list of countries having BMSBs and China and United Kingdom being identified as emerging risk countries for the 2024/2025 season.
Australian Brown marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSBs) requirements
BMSBs pose a high biosecurity risk to Australia. This is an invasive pest, native to Asia, and is highly capable of hitchhiking, highly mobile in nature and lack of effective lures. They can severely impact the Australian agricultural industries as well as a nuisance pest to homes, vehicles and factories, seeking shelter in these areas over the winter. They are more frequently found on goods arriving in Australia between September and April, coinciding with the late autumn and winter seasons in the northern hemisphere.
BMSB seasonal measures will apply to targeted goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries, that have been shipped between 1 September and 30 April (inclusive), and to vessels that berth, load, or tranship from target risk countries within the same period.
Note: The shipped on board date, as indicated on the Ocean Bill of Lading, is the date used to determine when goods have been shipped. “Gate in” dates and times will not be accepted to determine when goods are shipped.
BMSB Measures for vessels
Basically all ro-ro vessels that berth at, load, or tranship in target risk countries between 1 September and 30 April (inclusive) will be required to:
- Conduct at least one crew inspection and respond to specific questions as part of the pre-arrival reporting requirements; and
- Undergo a mandatory seasonal pest inspection on arrival in Australia.
Pleaser refer to the management of vessels for 2024-24 season for more details. Note that the Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme is discontinued for this season. The Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS) is an alternative vessel clearance pathway for ro-ro vessels. RoRo vessels will only be exempted from mandatory seasonal pest inspections if they are eligible under this scheme and no insects have been detected.
Target risk countries (41)
Any target high risk or target risk goods manufactured in, or shipped from these countries are subject to the BMSB seasonal measures. Any vessel that that berths at, load or tranships from these countries are also subject to BMSB seasonal measures:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- China (heightened vessel surveillance only)
- Croatia
- Czechia
- France
- Japan (heightened vessel surveillance only)
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Republic of Korea (heightened vessel surveillance only)
- Kosovo
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of North Macedonia
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United States of America
- Uzbekistan
The following countries have been identified as emerging risk countries for the 2024-25 BMSB risk season and may be selected for a random onshore inspection: China and United Kingdom.
- China – random inspections will apply to goods shipped between 1 September to 31 December (inclusive)
- United Kingdom – random inspections will apply to goods shipped between 1 December to 30 April (inclusive)
- In addition to the target high risk goods, chapters 39, 94 and 95 will be subject to random inspections for emerging risk countries only.
Target high risk or target risk goods
Some goods manufactured in, or shipped from the target risk countries as sea cargo have been identified as target high risk or target risk goods. To view the list as well as how these goods should be subject to BMSB treatments, please click on this DAWR link here.
In general, the only target high risk goods will require mandatory treatment for BMSB risk. Target risk goods will not but will be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection. For all other goods that are not categorised as target high risk and target risk goods, BMSB seasonal measures do not apply. However, if they are part of a container or consignment that contains target high risk or target risk goods, they will be subject to the measures.
Mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as break bulk cargo, including goods shipped in open top containers or on flat rack containers, will be required. Untreated break bulk or treated by an unapproved treatment provider will be denied discharge and be directed for export on arrival. Onshore treatment is not permitted. Note that modified FCL (full container load) containers ( eg modified to house in-built power generators, etc) are no longer sealed six hard sided containers and are considered to be break bulk cargo.
Containerised cargo - mandatory offshore or onshore treatment of target high risk goods arriving in sealed six hard sided containers ( includes refrigerated containers, operating and non-operating and hard top sealed containers) is required at the container level. Goods are to be treated within the container. Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment. No exemptions for deconsolidation or segregation on arrival will be considered by the department.
To demonstrate goods were sealed inside a container prior to 1 September or after treatment, a BMSB sealing declaration must be provided with the lodgement. This document is required where:
- Goods were containerised prior to 1 September, but shipped after this date, or
- The bill of lading does not state the shipped-on board date, or
- Goods were sealed inside the container within 120 hours of treatment occurring offshore (for treatments conducted prior to 1 December)
- Sealing declarations must be completed and signed by either the exporter, freight forwarder, or shipping company at the port of origin.
LCL ( less than container load( and FAK ( Freights of all kinds) containers with target high risk goods will be managed at the container level for BMSB risk prior to deconsolidation. See the Management of LCL/FAK containers web page for more details.
Summary: containerised cargo (other than LCL and FAK containers) will require mandatory offshore or onshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped in sealed six hard sided containers and deconsolidation or segregation of goods will not be permitted.
Throughout the season, the measures based on detections of BMSB and the risk pathways would be continuously reviewed.
For more information, click here.
BMSB Resource Hub
Simple fact sheets in pdf and doc formats are being created featuring the following:
- Quick reference guide
- BMSB Seasonal measures
- Goods subject to BMSB measures
- Preparing to import goods
- Managing LCL/FAK containers
- Managing goods on arrival
Templates relating to sealing declarations, transhipment declarations etc are also available in the BMSB Resource Hub.
Relevant links:
- Seasonal measures for BMSB for 2023-24
- Import Industry Advice Notice 190-2024
- Preparing to import goods during the BMSB season
- What happens to your goods on arrival during the BMSB season
- Management of vessels
- Management of LCL/FAK containers during the 2023-24 BMSB season
- Offshore BMSB treatment providers scheme
- List of offshore BMSB treatment providers
- BMSB Frequently Asked Questions webpage
New Zealand BMSB requirements
The BMSB risk season starts on 1st September and the BMSB measures apply to new and used target vehicles, machinery, and parts exported from BMSB-risk countries during the BMSB-risk season; on or after 1st September and which will arrive in New Zealand (NZ) before or on 30 April. The measures also apply to sea containers from Italy during the BMSB-risk season.
There is one exception to this rule: BMSB management is not required if target vehicles, machinery, and parts are loaded into a fully enclosed container which is sealed before 1 September and then exported before 1 October of the same year.
To assess whether your import of vehicles, machinery and parts arriving as seafreight to NZ have to meet the BMSB requirements, check the revised import health standard that came into force 11 August 2021, where the various commodities are listed as some types may be excluded from the measures.
For vehicles, machinery and parts to comply with BMST measures, they must be treated by an MPI-approved offshore treatment provider before arrival in New Zealand. Note that there are no MPI-approved treatment providers in Australia. Goods bound for New Zealand cannot be treated for BMSB in Australia. For full details, see Import Health Standard, 11 August 2021.
Note also that there are transshipping requirements to comply with if these goods manufactured in a non-BMSB-risk country are transhipped through a BMSB-risk country on their way to NZ. See section 9.2 of the Import Health Standard.
NZ BMSB requirements info page
NZ BMSB requirements for importers
Special BMSB requirements for sea containers coming from Italy.
Ships arriving and hitchhiker pests.
Stink bug warning to importers
Chilean BMSB requirements
Servicio Agricola y Ganadero (SAG) Resolution No. 971/2018 (Spanish only), requiring fumigation of goods from United States to Chile. This resolution was further amended in 2019 (No. 5607/2019) to include measures applicable for used vehicles and vehicle parts.
Members operating ships to Australia, New Zealand and Chile are urged to familiarise themselves of the above BMSB requirements and compliance and for translation to get local agents to arrange accordingly.
Fijian BMSB requirements
Fiji has introduced BMSB measures. Please be guided by Swire Shipping's information on the Fijian BMSB requirements.
Trading restrictions (Fiji)
Trading restrictions imposed against Fiji
- Australia: Arms embargo
