Agricultural Export Legislation – Introduction of Export Control Bill 2017 into Parliament

The Australian Government introduced the Export Control Bill 2017 (the Bill) into the Australian Parliament for consideration on 7 December 2017. This follows the release of an exposure draft of the proposed changes for comment by trading partners in August 2017.The Bill consolidates export-related provisions within the Export Control Act 1982 and Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 into a single Export Control Bill. Commodity-specific requirements will then be reflected in Export Control Rules, which will replace the current Export Control Orders without changing their intent. The Export Control Rules (the rules) are being drafted and trading partners will be provided with an opportunity to comment on the rules in 2018.There is no change to Australia's commitment to meet the importing requirements of our trading partners, and the improved legislation will continue to meet Australia's international obligations – including those under the SPS agreement.Improved export legislation provides the framework for complying with exporting requirements, creating a system that is more flexible and efficient to administer. This will ensure the continued integrity of Australia's export system and promote consistent and efficient administration across Australia's export chains.Business practices and regulatory requirements will remain consistent between the current and future legislation. The continuation of current business practices means costs for regulatory services will remain the same.
Further information on the Bill is available from the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website at http://www.agriculture.gov.au/market-access-trade/export-regulation-review