Supply chain diagram for preventing asbestos imports

An Australia-wide ban on the manufacture and use of all types of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) took effect on 31 December 2003.

This ban is reflected in workplace health and safety laws in all jurisdictions. Like Australia, all of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, except for Canada, Mexico and the United States of America, have banned asbestos. However the United States are moving towards greater regulation and restriction of the known carcinogen and the Canadian Government announced on Thursday, 15 November 2016 a national ban on the import, export, manufacture and use of asbestos by 2018.

Despite being a prohibited import in Australia, asbestos is still widely used in some countries around the world and goods containing asbestos are still being located at the border and on work sites around Australia. There have been a number of incidents where ACMs have been imported into Australia.