   
  
G/SPS/N/AUS/502  
4 August 2020  
(20-5394) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  The following goods (in var ious raw and processed forms):  
− Rice ( Oryza sativa ) [Tariff 1209, 1006]  
− Chickpeas ( Cicer arietinum ) [Tariff 1209, 07131106]  
− Cucurbit seed ( Cucurbita spp .) [Tariff 1209, 1207]  
− Cumin seed ( Cuminum cyminum ) [Tariff 1209, 0909]  
− Safflower seed ( Carthamus tinctorius ) [Tariff 1209, 1207]  
− Bean seed ( Phaseolus ) [Tariff 1209, 0713, 1106]  
− Soybean ( Glycine max ) [Tariff 1209, 1201]  
− Mung beans, cowpeas ( Vigna ) [Tariff 1209, 0713, 1106]  
− Lentils ( Lens culinaris ) [Tariff 1209, 0713, 1106]  
− Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) [Tariff 1209, 1001, 1104, 1103, 1101]  
− Coriander seed ( Coriandrum sativum ) [Tariff 1209, 0909]  
− Celery seed ( Apium graveolens ) [Tariff 1209]  
− Peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea ) [Tariff 1209, 1202, 0713, 1106]  
− Dried peppers ( Capsicum  spp) [Tarif f 1209, 0904]  
− Faba bean ( Vicia faba ) [Tariff 1209, 0713, 1106]  
− Pigeon Pea ( Cajanus cajan ) [Tariff 1209, 0713, 1106]  
− Peas ( Pisum sativum ) [Tariff 1209, 0713, 1106]  
− Fennel seed ( Foeniculum spp ). [Tariff 1209, 0909]  
The following exclusions apply: retorted  goods that are commercially manufactured and 
packaged, commercial manufactured frozen food and frozen plant products, or as fresh 
vegetables.  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Notification of emergency measures for Khapra beetle . 
Language(s): English . Number of pages: 2 G/SPS/N/AUS/502  
 
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  6. Description of content:  Notification to trading partners, that within the next two months 
Australia proposes to implement emergency measures to high risk plant products that are 
hosts of khapra beetle ( Trogoderma granarium ) to safeguard Australia against the entry, 
establishment  and spread of this pest.  
The emergency measures for high risk plant products will be implemented in a number of 
phases and include (but are not limited to):  
Prohibiting high risk plant products, from being brought in through non -commercial 
pathways i.e. luggage, mail and unaccompanied personal effects from all countries 
Introducing mandatory offshore treatment of high risk plant products from countries 
determi ned to pose an unacceptable khapra beetle risk. III. Extending phytosanitary 
certification to all high risk plant products verifying freedom from species of Trogoderma . 
Prohibiting high risk plant products from being brought in through the unaccompanied 
personal effects pathway (phase 1) is expected to be implemented in August 2020. 
Addendums to this SPS notification will be published to notify the implementation date 
for phase 1; and to notify the measures and implementation dates for subsequent phases. 
Specific details regarding the measures will be outlined in the Biosecurity Import 
Conditions system (BICON) on the Australia's Department of Agriculture, Water and the 
Environment website prior to the implementation date.  
Additional measures for lower risk plant products are also being considered and may 
include extending phytosanitary certification to include verification of freedom from 
species of Trogoderma . Additional measures to manage the hitchhiking risk of khapra 
beetle in containers are being consid ered which may include treatments of containers 
prior to loading of goods; and treatment of empty containers.  
To assist with the implementation, Australia is requesting countries for relevant 
information consistent with ISPM 8 on the status of T. granarium  in their territories. This 
notification provides an opportunity for Australia's trading partners to provide any 
information on the status of T. granarium in their countries, and to identify evidence to 
support their response.  
7. Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Khapra beetle , 
Trogoderma  granarium (Everts 1898) [Coleoptera: Dermestidae], is a quarantine pest for 
Australia and quarantine procedures are in place to prevent its introduction.  
The number of interceptions of Khapra beetle in goods and containers has increased in 
recent years wo rldwide especially from countries where established populations of Khapra 
beetle exist. Khapra beetle is also being intercepted in goods from countries where the 
beetle is not known to occur. These detections are significant and are indicative of a 
changin g pathway risk profile.  G/SPS/N/AUS/502  
 
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  9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) : ISPM 1 
and ISPM 8  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant  international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  Phase 
1 is expected to enter into force in the latter half of August 2020. Specific date will be 
notified through an addendum to this SPS notification.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authorit y designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601; Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au   
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of o ther body:   
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601; Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au   
 