Australia

Australia is replacing its current export documentation system, known as the Export Documentation System (EXDOC), with a new version called the Next Export Documentation System (NEXDOC). The change of system from EXDOC to NEXDOC will result in changes to official Australian Government export certificate templates for Australian agricultural goods.Australia’s export certification for edible meat and meat products such as meat, offal and meat products derived from cattle, buffalo, camels, goats, deer, sheep, pigs, horses and donkeys; wild game; rabbit; poultry and ratite (emu, ostrich) will soon transition to the NEXDOC system. This includes, where relevant, halal certification issued for halal meat and meat products.Australia has already transitioned a range of commodity specific export certification to the NEXDOC system including inedible animal products (October 2025), low-risk food items (May 2025), wool, skins and hides (November 2024), fish (September 2024), eggs (December 2023), honey (2022-2023), and dairy (May 2021).The planned changes do not affect bilaterally agreed information, conditions or attestations required by importing countries or the department’s regulatory controls over exports. However, there are minor changes to formatting and the location of some of this information on the export certificate template. Electronic certification (eCert) is not affected by the planned changes.The NEXDOC export certificate templates have unique Quick Response (QR) codes that provide consignment specific information border officials can use to confirm authenticity of the certificate in real-time. To verify the QR code, border officials scan the code through the official’s smart phone camera.Australia proposes NEXDOC export certificate and, where relevant, halal certificate templates will be issued for edible meat and meat products from 20 April 2026. There will be a transition period where both the EXDOC and NEXDOC certificate templates will be in use to allow for transit time (air and sea freight) to the port of destination.

The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) has published the import conditions for fresh melon fruit from Japan, for human consumption. All varieties of melon fruit (Cucumis melo) are permitted to be imported. This includes muskmelon, rockmelon and honeydew melon. Import is not permitted for oriental melons (C. melo var. makuwa) and oriental pickling melons (C. melo var. utilissimus (syn. C. melo var. conomon)) from Japan.Fresh melons from Japan must be produced under pest area freedom for the fruit fly, Zeugodacus tau, to achieve the appropriate level of protection for Australia. Melon fruit from the Okinawa Prefecture are not permitted to be imported into Australia.Details are available on the department’s website, Import conditions for fresh melons from Japan and in BICON, BICON - Import Conditions

This Proposal seeks to amend Schedule 20 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to align maximum residue limits (MRLs) relating to residues of agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemicals in food with: (a) the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority MRL Standard; (b) Codex Alimentarius Commission; and (c) other trading partner standards, following a rigorous assessment that the MRL is scientifically justified, risk-based, transparent as well as non-discriminatory.This Proposal also includes corrections of typographical and formatting errors, necessary to improve the integrity of Schedule 20.For further information, please contact the MRL Team at FSANZ (MRL.contact@foodstandards.gov.auAgvet chemicals where increased or new MRLs are being considered for specified plant commodities: Benzovindiflupyr, Bifenthrin, Boscalid, Broflanilide, Captan, Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Carfentrazone-ethyl, Chlorantraniliprole, Clofentezine, Clothianidin, Cyantraniliprole, Cyflufenamid, Cyflumetofen, Cyhexatin, Cypermethrin, Cyprodinil, Deltamethrin, Diafenthiuron, Difenoconazole, Diflubenzuron, Dimethenamid-P, Dimpropyridaz, Dinocap, Diuron, Emamectin, Etofenprox, Fenamidone, Fenbuconazole, Fenbutatin oxide, Florylpicoxamid, Flubendiamide, Fluopyram, Flutianil, Fluxapyroxad, Folpet, Fomesafen, Hexythiazox, Imazapyr, Indaziflam, Iprodione, Isocycloseram, Isoflucypram, Isotianil, Mefentrifluconazole, Mepiquat, Metalaxyl, Methiocarb, Metolachlor, Metsulfuron-methyl, Milbemectin, Napropamide, Novaluron, Oxathiapiprolin, Pendimethalin, Phorate, Phosmet, Pirimicarb, Prochloraz, Propiconazole, Pymetrozine, Pyridaben, Pyrimethanil, Pyriproxyfen, Pyroxasulfone, Quizalofop-P-tefuryl, Spiromesifen, Spiropidion, Sulfoxaflor, Tebuconazole, Tetraniliprole, Thiabendazole, Thiophanate-methyl, Tiafenacil, Trichlorfon, Tricyclazole and Triflumuron.Agvet chemicals where increased or new MRLs are being considered for specified animal commodities: 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, Cyantraniliprole, Florylpicoxamid, Fluopyram, Fluxapyroxad, Isocycloseram, Isotianil, Mepiquat, Methiocarb, Nicarbazin, Propiconazole, Pyrimethanil, Tetracycline and Tricyclazole.Agvet chemicals where deletions or reductions in MRLs are being proposed for specified plant commodities: Afidopyropen, Carbofuran, Chlorantraniliprole, Cyantraniliprole, Cyflumetofen, Cypermethrin, Difenoconazole, Diquat, Florylpicoxamid, Fluopyram, Fluxapyroxad, Glyphosate, Haloxyfop, Imidacloprid, Indoxacarb, Ioxynil, Iprodione, Linuron, Lufenuron, Metalaxyl, Methiocarb, Naphthalene acetic acid, Napropamide, Novaluron, Oxathiapiprolin, Penthiopyrad, Pyraclostrobin, Pyridaben, Pyrimethanil, Sulfoxaflor, Tebuconazole, Tetracycline and Thiabendazole.Agvet chemicals where deletions or reductions in MRLs are being proposed for specified animal commodities: Lufenuronand Tetracycline.New chemicals proposed for inclusion in schedule 20 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code are: Isoflucypram and Tricyclazole.Agvet chemicals where consequential amendments were required to (a) add or remove exceptions for some commodities; (b) correct typographical errors; (c) convert a temporary MRL to a permanent MRL; (d) amend or update the commodity name; but there are no changes made to MRLs: Acequinocyl, Afidopyropen, Azoxystrobin, Benzovindiflupyr, Bifenazate, Bifenthrin, Boscalid, Broflanilide, Bromacil, Captan, Carbaryl, Carfentrazone-ethyl, Chlorantraniliprole, Clothianidin, Cyflumetofen, Cyfluthrin, Cyhalothrin, Cypermethrin, Cyprodinil, Dicamba, Difenoconazole, Dodine, Fenbutatin oxide, Fenoxycarb, Flonicamid, Fluazifop-p-butyl, Flubendiamide, Fludioxonil, Fluopyram, Fluquinconazole, Flutriafol, Glyphosate, Hexythiazox, Imazalil, Imazapyr, Indoxacarb, Iprodione, Isocycloseram, Isofetamid, Lufenuron, Mefentrifluconazole, Metalaxyl, Metamitron, Metolachlor, Myclobutanil, Napropamide, Paclobutrazol, Pendimethalin, Phorate, Phosmet, Pydiflumetofen, Pyraclostrobin, Pyridaben, Pyrimethanil, Pyriproxyfen, Pyroxasulfone, Quizalofop-P-tefuryl, Spinetoram, Spiropidion, Sulfoxaflor, Tebufenozide, Tebufenpyrad, Tetraniliprole, Tiafenacil, Trichlorfon, Triforine.Agvet chemical where the residue definition is being updated: Azocyclotin, Cyhexatin and DicambaAgvet chemicals where a new or amended All other foods except animal food commodities MRL is being proposed: Cyflufenamid, Fenbutatin oxide, Fomesafen, Indoxacarb, Lufenuron, Mepiquat, Metsulfuron-methyl, Pyridaben, spiromesifen, Triflumuron and Triforine.

This Proposal seeks to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to align the following maximum residue limits (MRLs) for various agricultural and veterinary chemicals so that they are consistent with other national regulations relating to the safe and effective use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals:Clothianidin, Fluazinam, Ipconazole, Isocycloseram, Mefentrifluconazole and Pyraclostrobin in specified plant commodities.

Biosecurity import conditions for the management of Brucella canis are being updated to align with the department’s policy review on the Importation of dogs and cats and their semen from approved countries (2013)The policy review determined that serological testing should be conducted at least one incubation period after the last mating or insemination. This requirement helps mitigate the risk that a dog may be incubating Brucella canis at the time of blood sample collection. Accordingly, dogs must not be naturally mated or artificially inseminated for at least 21 days before blood is collected for Brucella canis testing, and until export. This extends the previous requirement of 14 days.All import permits issued from 2 March 2026 onwards will reflect these updated conditions.