Brown marinated stink bug (BMSB) season is officially underway. Spanning from September 1st 2024 to April 30th 2025, the BMSB seasonal measures bring some changes to compliance and requirements. At Stockwells, we’re guiding our clients through the season by upholding clear communication and responsive solutions.
Keep reading to learn about AusTreat, treatment requirements and other important BMSB season measures updates.
AusTreat has replaced the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme
In 2024, the Australian Government launched AusTreat. The pre-border biosecurity treatment provider assurance scheme aims to prevent biosecurity risks from arriving on Australian shores. AusTreat replaced the Offshore BMSB Treatment Provider Scheme on July 1st 2024. Changes to treatment provider requirements went into effect on September 1st 2024.
AusTreat has sparked changes in areas like:
- Decisions and non-compliance processes
- Treatment provider registration
- Treatment documentation and data submission
Target risk countries for BMSB season 2024-2025
BMSB seasonal measures apply to targeted goods manufactured in or shipped from the following countries.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- China (heightened vessel surveillance only)
- Croatia
- Czechia
- France
- Japan (heightened vessel surveillance only).
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Republic of Korea (heightened vessel surveillance only)
- Kosovo
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of North Macedonia
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United States of America
- Uzbekistan
Emerging risk countries
The United Kingdom (UK) and China have been identified as emerging risk countries. China can expect random inspections to apply to goods shipped between September 1st and December 31st (inclusive). For the UK, random inspections will apply to goods shipped between September 1st and April 30th (inclusive).
Target high risk goods for BMSB season 2024-2025
If your goods fall under the following tariff classifications, they will be subject to mandatory treatment for BMSB risk.
- 44 – Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal
- 45 – Cork and articles of cork
- 57 – Carpets and other textile floor coverings
- 68 – Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials
- 69 – Ceramic products – including sub chapters I and II
- 70 – Glass and glass ware
- 72 – Iron and steel – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV
- 73 – Articles of iron or steel
- 74 – Copper and articles thereof
- 75 – Nickel and articles thereof
- 76 – Aluminium and articles thereof
- 78 – Lead and articles thereof
- 79 – Zinc and articles thereof
- 80 – Tin and articles thereof
- 81 – Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof
- 82 – Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal
- 83 – Miscellaneous articles of base metals
- 84 – Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof
- 85 – Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles
- 86 – Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds
- 87 – Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, and parts and accessories thereof
- 88 – Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof
- 89 – Ships, boats and floating structures
Target risk goods for BMSB season 2024-2025
These tariff classifications identify target risk goods. If you’re shipping target risk goods, mandatory inspection does not apply. However, you should prepare for the possibility of increased onshore intervention through random inspection.
- 27 – Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
- 28 – Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV and V
- 29 – Organic chemicals – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIII
- 38 – Miscellaneous chemical products
- 39 – Plastics and articles thereof – – including sub chapters I and II
- 40 – Rubber and articles thereof
- 48 – Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard
- 49 – Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans
- 56 – Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof
Your goods may also be subject to BMSB seasonal measures if they are shipped in the same container or consignment as target high risk or target risk goods.
Treatment requirements
Explore the approved treatment requirements for BMSB season 2024-2025. All treatments must meet the minimum standards for BMSB treatment application.
- Heat treatment
- Methyl bromide fumigation
- Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation
- Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation with approved third-party system
Onshore treatment
Onshore treatments of goods must be arranged by approved arrangement providers. Navigate the list of approved arrangement providers using the search tool.
Offshore treatment
Compliance and regulation requirements for BMSB season measures are outlined by AusTreat.
Changes include the renaming of AQIS Entity Identifier to Entity Identifier (AEI). AEI refers to the tracking and management of the offshore treatment certification required for consignments to enter Australia.
Take a closer look at how AusTreat impacts treatment providers here.
Treatment providers to be approved under AusTreat
AusTreat applies to treatment providers operating outside of Australia who are registered or applying to be registered. Treatment providers must now submit a registration application to be approved under AusTreat. This also applies to treatment providers servicing target high risk countries. Registration lasts for three years, which is triple the time it lasted for under the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme.
Explore the list of approved treatment providers here.
Supply chain resilience in every season
Stockwells freight forwarding and logistics is designed to optimise your supply chain. We account for any changes caused by BMSB seasonal measures to prepare your shipments for success. If you have any questions about how BMSB season measures will impact your supply chain, please reach out to your Stockwells logistics partner.