ANZ seasonal measures against brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB)
30 August 2024
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an agricultural, horticultural, and social pest. It's native to Asia and has spread throughout North America and Europe. BMSBs feed on more than 300 plant species and could seriously hurt the agricultural industries in Australia and New Zealand.
Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) have strengthened the measures against BMSB arriving in Oceania for the 2024–25 BMSB risk season.
Key information applicable to Australia and New Zealand
- 2024 / 2025 BMSB season will run from vessel departure dates from 1 September 2024 to 30 April 2025, inclusive.
- BMSB measures will apply to certain goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries
- BMSB measures will also apply to vessels that berth at, load, or tranship from target risk countries.
- Target goods deemed high-risk that originate or are shipped from target risk countries will require mandatory treatment.
Specific to Australia
- Added China and the Republic of Korea to the heightened vessel surveillance list. This includes including roll-on/roll-off vessels and transshipments.
Specific to New Zealand
- All BMSB treatments must be carried out before arrival in New Zealand. This applies equally to goods arriving as break-bulk and in sea containers.
- Vehicles, machinery, parts and new tyres
- Require mandatory treatment. MPI developed a tool for checking applicable import requirements: IHS requirements tool for vehicles, machinery and parts.
- Sealed in a fully enclosed container before 1 September and exported before 1 October of the same year are excluded from all BMSB management requirements if evidence of the container sealing date is provided before arrival in New Zealand.
Target risk countries applicable to Australia and New Zealand unless otherwise indicated:
| Albania | Georgia | Portugal |
| Andorra | Germany | Republic of North Macedonia |
| Armenia | Greece | Romania |
| Austria | Hungary | Russia |
| Azerbaijan | Italy2 | Serbia |
| Belgium | Kazakhstan | Slovakia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Republic of Korea1 | Slovenia |
| Bulgaria | Kosovo | Spain |
| Canada | Liechtenstein | Switzerland |
| China1, 3 | Luxembourg | Türkiye |
| Croatia | Moldova | Ukraine |
| Czechia | Montenegro | United Kingdom3 |
| France | Netherlands | United States of America |
| Japan1, 2 | Poland | Uzbekistan4 |
1 Heightened vessel surveillance only in Australia
2 Schedule 3 country in New Zealand:
- Italy is a Schedule 3 country with large populations of BMSB and increased associated risk. No types of vehicles, machinery and parts (including new tyres) are eligible for BMSB management exclusions under the Import Health Standard (HIS).
- Japan is a Schedule 3 country (native range) that is targeted for BMSB and other regulated pests, including Asian gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar), yellow spotted stink bugs (Erthesina fullo) and polished green stinkbugs (Glaucias subpunctatus polished green stink bugs (Glaucias subpunctatus)
3 Identified by New Zealand as emerging risk countries for the BMSB risk season and may be selected for a random onshore inspection
4 Only Australia
Treatment overview
DAFF and MPI introduced the joint Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers' Scheme in the 2018-2019 season, covering countries that export risk goods to Australia and New Zealand, setting out the minimum registration and compliance requirements for approved providers of BMSB treatments.
The approved offshore BMSB treatment provider list excludes treatment providers in Australia or New Zealand. This is because New Zealand-bound goods are not permitted to be treated for BMSB in Australia on the way to New Zealand, and vice versa. Treatments can be carried out at other transhipment ports if unable to be performed at the origin.
The following are BMSB treatment options depending on the commodity type, availability at origin locations and approved treatment providers
- Heat treatment
- Methyl bromide fumigation
- Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation
Please note that all non-enclosed (e.g. flat rack containers, open top containers, etc.) containerised cargo must be treated at origin.
Recommendation(s):
We recommend that the required BSMB treatment is completed at origins by an approved treatment provider
- As New Zealand-bound shipments cannot be fumigated on arrival in New Zealand or while it is in transhipment in Australia.
- To avoid delays in treatment in Australia.
Please contact your local Toll Global Forwarding representative or office for more information.
Resource(s):
- Approved list of offshore BSMB treatment providers
- Australia
- New Zealand
Grant Davis
Executive Vice President ANZ
Toll Global Forwarding
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