Australia Customs & Regulatory Updates
AQIS Cargo Clearance Fee Restructure
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) will be increasing their Cargo Clearance fees effective July 1, 2009.
Due to the current economic situation, there has been a decline in trade across the board. AQIS projects a significant deficit for 2009/10 and requires that this is met by the industry under cost recovery policy and guidelines. AQIS has also undertaken efficiency measures to reduce its costs and keep the increase in fees to a minimum.
The revised fee package contains a number of changes including the simplification of some charges and alignment of similar fees across different programs.
The proposed changes include increases for:
• Lodgement and assessment of entries and applications
• Services performed during and outside ordinary hours of duty
• Fee-For-Service (FFS) activities
The new fee package will maintain sufficient and appropriate staff to ensure that biosecurity risks are managed, and quarantine services are retained.
Please see the table below for some of the revised fees:
Activity Stream |
Fee Description |
Current Fees |
New Fees |
Permit Granting |
Manual permit application/lodgement Application for amendment |
$130.00 |
$150.00 |
| Electronic permit application/lodgement | $75.00 |
$85.00 |
|
| Category 1 permit assessment | $40.00 |
$40.00 |
|
| Category 2 permit assessment (up to 1 hour) | $80.00 |
$80.00 |
|
| Category 3 permit assessment (up to 2 hours) | $140.00 |
$160.00 |
|
| Category 4 permit assessment (up to 3 hours) | $200.00 |
$240.00 |
|
| Category 5 permit assessment (up to 4 hours) | $260.00 |
$320.00 |
|
| Additional ¼ hour fee–for–service after the maximum allowable time for assessment has been reached | $35.50 |
$40.00 |
|
Import Operations |
Import declaration in the Integrated Cargo System—AIR | $10.00 |
$15.00 |
| Import declaration in the Integrated Cargo System—SEA | $10.00 |
$14.00 |
|
| Assessment of import declaration—Compliance Agreement lodgement | $6.00 |
$8.00 |
|
| Import declaration—electronic lodgement (AIMS) | $7.00 |
$9.00 |
|
| Import declaration—manual lodgement | $12.00 |
$15.00 |
|
| Import declaration—Self Assessed Clearance (SAC) upgrade to AIMS | $20.00 |
$25.00 |
|
| Assessment of AIMS import declaration | $30.00 |
$40.00 |
|
| QAP registration—12 months | $900.00 |
$1,200.00 |
|
QAP registration—6 months |
$450.00 |
$600.00 |
For further information on the AQIS Fees and Charging Guidelines for Cargo Clearance, please refer to the following Australian Government website: www.daffa.gov.au/fees/aqisfees-charges