Getting Ready for Inspection before DAWR Issues Export Certificates

Prescribed goods for export from Australia are controlled by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR). Some examples of these goods include milk and milk products, eggs, fish and fish products, meat and meat products, plants and plant products, live animals and so on. Exporters need to raise Request for Permit with DAWR which issues Health Certificate (for animals and animal products) and Phytosanitary Certificate (for plants and plant products). The main purpose of these certificates is to ensure that the goods being exported are free from contaminants/infections and comply with the importing country requirements.

Before DAWR issues these important export certificates, it authorizes inspection officers to inspect the export commodities. For example, Phytosanitary Certificate for export of plants products is issued only if they are inspected to be free of pests. Here are some preparations every exporter must make to avoid rejection:

Registered Establishment Requirement

The Export Control Order demands that the prescribed goods for export must be prepared or processed as well as inspected in a registered establishment. For this, the exporter must either:

• Get his or her premises registered with a local DAWR office or
• Find and use a registered establishment for the above-mentioned tasks

Prescribed Goods Transportation

You may need to transport prescribed goods intended for export from one registered establishment to another. In such cases:

• An authorized officer is responsible for supervising the transport
• The office must issue a transfer certificate
• The owner of the registered establishment where the goods are repacked must maintain the records like packing dates and original registered establishment

Packaging the Prescribed Goods

It is important that the goods are not packed into packages or loaded into containers before the inspection is complete or the authorized officer agrees to a prescribed method of inspection after packaging. In addition, it must be ensured that the packaging materials are unused and clean or cleaned after use (in case of multiple use materials). The containers must be in good condition to prevent any kind of contamination/infestation.

Do you know that the consignments delayed for more than 28 days after inspection must be reinspected to ensure the validity of issued certificates? Keeping these things in mind can save you from a lot of hassles.