Australian import and export permits

Australia's quarantine policy is based on the assessment and management of pest and disease risk. Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and Australian Customs manage the risk associated with some imported products by requiring you to obtain permits to facilitate clearance of particular goods. The conditions of these permits often require that the goods have been prepared in their country of origin in a particular way.

When we wanted to import silk cocoons for our silk business, we approached every customs broker in the phone book. None had the facilities to do the research... so we did our own research! We found the specific international standard for cross-border transfer: an obscure South Korean manual prepared for an agency of the UN. Once we had obtained a certified translation of this document, we arranged approval of the standard by Australian authorities. We then had to ensure that our Chinese suppliers complied with the standard, by supervising the processing of the coccoons and photographing each stage so that there was documentary proof of compliance to show to Australian authorities.

In 2010, we're still the only people in Australia to have an import permit for these items.

The application for the import permit was only processed after we had compied with each of these steps. It still took six months to get the permit.

No matter how unusual your request, if the item is restricted but not prohibited, Elephant Concepts will be able to work with our customs broker or yours to assist you to import it.