Importer’s Guide to Prohibited Goods
There are several categories of goods that are considered prohibited imports by the Australian Government. From dangerous organic material to hazardous and toxic substances, if you’re an importer, you need to understand what goods are prohibited and restricted.
While some prohibited goods may enter the country with written permission as long as you meet certain conditions and requirements, there are other goods that cannot be imported under any circumstances.
The fact is, importers are ultimately responsible for the goods they import into Australia. If you’re an importer, it’s up to you to understand the rules and ensure you meet the relevant requirements under Australian law.
If you import prohibited goods (knowingly or unknowingly), without the relevant written permission or licence, you will face serious penalties. Your goods may be seized and destroyed, you could face penalties of up to $525,000 and you could be sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment.
If you’re unsure whether your goods might be affected by these provisions, check out our importer’s guide to prohibited goods below.
List of Prohibited and Restricted Goods
Animals and Plants
Animal and plant goods that are not permitted to be imported into Australia without written permission include:
● cat and dog fur
● certain dog breeds (including pit bull terriers)
● animals, plants and related products listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
● toothfish (unless a permit has been granted)
● fish, or parts of fish, including all species of bony fish, sharks, rays, crustaceans, molluscs and other marine organisms
● unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco refuse including tobacco not stemmed or stripped (e.g. whole tobacco plants or cured or fermented tobacco leaves).
It’s your responsibility as an importer to ensure all permit requirements are met at the time of importation. Valid import permits must be produced to the Australian Border Force (ABF) at the time of importation.
Asbestos
Australia is one of the few countries in the Asia/Pacific region with a complete ban on all six types of asbestos including:
● actinolite asbestos
● grunerite (or amosite) asbestos (brown)
● anthophyllite asbestos
● chrysotile asbestos (white)
● crocidolite asbestos (blue)
● tremolite asbestos.
This means that goods manufactured outside Australia might be labelled "asbestos free" yet still contain low levels of asbestos. These goods are not permitted to be imported into Australia, except in very limited circumstances. Refer to the ABF website for more information on the rules around importing asbestos.
Consumer Products
The importation of certain consumer products is prohibited, covering the following items:
● glazed ceramic ware normally used for the storage or consumption of food (including glazed pottery and ceramics used for tableware and cooking)
● glucomannan, certain seat accessories, sun visors, certain toys, oral snuff and chewing tobacco (greater than 1.5 kilograms), certain water ski releases, and candles or candle wicks containing lead
● cosmetic products containing more than 250mg/kg of lead or lead compounds
● counterfeit credit, debit or charge cards
● dog collars with protrusions designed to puncture or bruise an animal’s skin
● erasers that smell and look like food and contain excess amounts of toxic compounds
● most hand-held electric devices designed to administer an electric shock on contact
● certain incandescent lamps
● laser pointers designed or adapted to emit a laser beam with an accessible emission level greater than 1mW
● disposable lighters, novelty lighters or refillable lighters with a customs value of $5 or less
● money boxes coated with material that contains more than 90 mg/kg of lead
● pencils or paint brushes coated with material that contains excess amounts of toxic compounds
● chewing tobacco and oral snuff imported in quantities greater than 1.5 kilograms without prior permission
● toys coated with material which contains excess amounts of toxic compounds.
Some of these items may be imported with prior permission. Consult the ABF website to find out how to apply for permission before importing any of these goods into Australia.
Defence and Strategic Goods
It’s prohibited to import radioactive substances into Australia including any radioactive material or substance including radium, any radioactive isotope or any article containing radioactive material or substance. Security Sensitive Ammonium Nitrate (SSAN) is also prohibited from import unless permission has been granted by an authority of the relevant state or territory.
Drugs, Medicines & Therapeutic Goods
The following drugs, medicines and therapeutic goods are prohibited from import into Australia without prior consent:
● anabolic and androgenic steroids
● drugs and narcotics listed in Schedule 4 of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations including isomers, precursors and derivatives
● natural and manufactured growth hormones
● psychoactive substances that induce hallucinations, cause significant disturbance in thinking or behaviour or result in dependence and/or addiction
● precursor substances that can be converted into other substances with the potential to be abused
● drugs and substances including abortifacients, aphrodisiacs and others controlled for health reasons
● certain tobacco products including cigarettes, shisha/molasses tobacco and loose leaf tobacco for use in pipes or roll-your-own cigarettes.
More information on the specifics of each prohibited item can be found on the Office of Drug Control website.
Firearms
There are several categories of firearms prohibited from importation into Australia.
● Category A and B: air rifles or soft air rifles, rimfire rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading firearms, single-shot, double-barrel and repeating centre fire rifles, break-action shotgun/rifle combinations.
● Category C: semi-automatic rimfire rifles without a firearm magazine, semi-automatic shotguns without a firearm magazine, pump-action repeating shotguns without a firearm magazine.
● Category D: semi-automatic centre fire rifles, semi-automatic rimfire rifles fitted with a firearm magazine, semi-automatic shotguns fitted with a firearm magazine, pump-action repeating shotguns fitted with a firearm magazine.
● Category H: handguns, other than handguns to which a firearm accessory is attached or integral, fully automatic handguns or handguns that are substantially the same in appearance as a fully automatic firearm
● Prohibited: all fully automatic firearms (such as machine pistols, machine guns, sub-machine guns and assault rifles); all firearms to which a firearm accessory is attached or integral; and lever action shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds.
There are also restrictions on the import of ammunition, magazines, firearm parts, accessories, imitation firearms and paintball markers into Australia. The ABF site includes more detailed information on the restrictions on importing firearms.
Hazardous Goods
Both naturally occurring and man-made hazardous materials are prohibited from import into Australia, including;
● asbestos
● plastic explosives
● hazardous waste that’s explosive, flammable, poisonous, toxic, ecotoxic, or any infectious substances
● ozone depleting substances (ODS) and synthetic greenhouse gases (SGG) (e.g. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons & perfluorocarbons (PFCs))
● organochlorine bio-accumulative pesticides that are toxic to humans and animals, such as DDT
● polychlorinated biphenyls, terphenyls and polyphenyls that pose a risk to human health, wildlife and the environment.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) has more information for importers about the rules surrounding the import of hazardous goods.
Intellectual Property and Cultural Items
Importers should be mindful of the rules around importing cultural items or goods subject to intellectual property law, such as:
● all goods and advertising material relating to the goods, bearing the word 'ANZAC' or similar, or the description of which includes the word ‘ANZAC’.
● cultural heritage objects such as antiquities, art, fossils, historical documents, numismatic material and specimens of flora and fauna.
● goods that are the national cultural property of Papua New Guinea
● goods with a representation of the arms of a state or territory of the Commonwealth, a flag or seal of a state or territory of the Commonwealth, or a representation so nearly resembling these so as to be likely to deceive
● goods with a representation of the Arms, a flag or a seal of the Commonwealth, or a representation so nearly resembling these so as to be likely to deceive.
Importers must recognise their responsibility to ensure any cultural object has received valid export permission from the country of origin.
Miscellaneous
There is a large and diverse grouping of prohibited goods that don’t fit neatly into any other category but still need to be closely monitored by importers:
● human body fluids, organs and other tissue including substances derived from human blood and tissue.
● ice pipes used to draw or inhale smoke or fumes resulting from heating controlled drugs in a crystal, powder, oil or base form.
● kava, traditionally used for therapeutic and recreational purposes by certain cultures.
● pepper or capsicum spray
● pornography and objectional material
● rough diamonds that are unworked, or simply sawn, cleaved, bruted or roughly shaped.
● goods that are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Nations or by Australian autonomous sanctions
● signal jammers used to prevent or disrupt mobile phone and satellite navigation services
● devices designed or customised to be used by a person to commit suicide, or to be used by a person to assist another person to end their life
● tablet presses and encapsulators
● living tissues and cells (viable material) derived from human embryo clones
● consignments of wine, brandy, grape spirit and wine derived products over 100 litres
● woolpacks used for the storage and transporting of greasy wool or scoured wool.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration plays an important role in the regulation of medical and therapeutic goods while DAWE oversees the management and treatment of prohibited plant and animal goods.
Tobacco
Most tobacco products are considered prohibited imports, including cigarettes, molasses tobacco and loose leaf tobacco. To import prohibited tobacco products for commercial or personal use, importers need a permit issued by the ABF before the tobacco arrives in Australia. A permit is required to import the following tobacco products:
● cigarettes
● shisha/molasses tobacco
● loose leaf tobacco for use in pipes or roll-your-own cigarettes
● 'heat-not-burn' tobacco products, including heat sticks and IQOS.
More information on obtaining an import permit for tobacco products can be found on the Australian Border Force site.
Weapons
The importation of weapons is prohibited under law, with importers needing to obtain permission to bring weapons into Australia. Import requirements depend on the type of weapon and purpose of the importation. Weapons that require prior permission for import include:
● daggers
● blowpipes and blowpipe darts
● nunchakus
● crossbows and parts
● slingshots and parts
● star knives
● throwing knives
● throwing blades
● throwing axes
● maces
● flails
● body armour
● extendable batons and parts
● laser pointers
For more information on the regulations relation to the import of weapons, consult the ABF website.
If you’re an importer and not 100% sure on whether your goods are prohibited or not, it’s time to talk to an expert. Experienced customs brokers, PJ's Customs is here to guide importers through the customs and import process. To find out how we can help, drop into our Darwin office, email us logistics@pjscustoms.com.au or give us a call on 1300 395 760 for more information.