Permits for importing and/or exporting asbestos are strictly regulated. The border requirements are derived from regulations that permit holders must abide by, including all the conditions on the permit.
Permission to import goods that contain asbestos may only be granted for the purposes of:
- research, analysis or display
- waste imported from an Australian External Territory for disposal.
ASSEA administers the permit process for importing or exporting asbestos or goods containing asbestos. This does not include imports that contain asbestos that are classified as hazardous waste as defined by the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989.
The importation of hazardous waste (including hazardous waste containing asbestos) requires permission granted by the Minister for the Environment and Water. Information about applying for permission can be found on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) website.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) website provides more details on import and export exceptions and permissions, as well as declarations needed at the border.
Import and export declarations
Import declarations are required for all imports that contain, or may contain, asbestos, including samples.
- Instructions are to be provided to the permit holder’s freight forwarder or customs broker to lodge a formal import entry, describing the goods with the word asbestos. For example: ‘samples for asbestos testing’.
- The same description also needs to be used by the sender in the country of origin, particularly when using international couriers who control end-to-end shipment. This instruction must be provided before shipment to Australia. Larger couriers (freight forwarders) may need to be instructed to lodge a formal declaration due to the apparent nil-value of samples.
Visit the ABF’s import declaration page for further information.
Export declarations are required for all exports containing asbestos, for which a permit has been granted. When an export permit is granted, ASSEA will provide data to the ABF Integrated Cargo System (ICS), their goods tracking system. When the export declaration is lodged a data match will occur to the export permit in the ICS. The ABF recommends using a customs broker or agent to facilitate export.
Export declarations must include:
- the asbestos export permit number
- the appropriate Australian Harmonised Export Commodity Code (AHECC) used to describe the goods
- the exporter’s ABN.
These are a requirement for all exports of asbestos, including samples. It is not value dependant. For more information visit the ABF export declaration page.
Permit holder's responsibilities
The permit holder must:
- comply with all applicable laws, including for importation and exportation, handling, labelling, packaging and disposing of asbestos
- comply with the conditions of the permit
- ensure all parties in the supply chain for goods, materials or samples that contain, or may contain asbestos, are aware of Australian import and/or export requirements
- ensure that the asbestos content is clear in the goods description, including for samples yet to be tested
- ensure a copy of the valid permit is available to produce if requested by the ABF.