Table of Contents
Customs Tariff Changes effective 1 January 2024
Australian Border Force released Customs Notice No. 2023/50 with updated tariff rates for preferential goods under certain free trade agreements.
A summary follows:
Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement
Duty rates for Indian originating iron, steel and articles of iron and steel will be reduced to 2 per cent.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
Preferential rates of duty will be reduced or eliminated for certain RCEP originating goods, including certain vegetable products, food products, beverages, mineral products, textiles, machinery and vehicles. As the reductions vary across commodities, importers are encouraged to check if there has been a change in duty rate for their RCEP originating goods.
Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement
Duty rates for UK originating cheese and curd will reduce to $0.81/kg.
Duty rates for UK originating iron, steel and articles of iron and steel will be reduced to 3 per cent, except for goods covered by theCustoms Tariff (Suspension of Preferential Tariff for Certain UK Originating Goods) Notice 2023.
For further information please contact Harders Advisory.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Proposed Changes to Imported Inorganic Fertiliser Management Policy
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is considering changes to its Imported Inorganic Fertiliser Management Policy.
As part of the potential review, the department is undertaking external consultation and is inviting stakeholders in the import and shipping industries associated with the importation of chemical or mined (inorganic) fertiliser to contribute.
The department has created a platform for participants to ‘Have Your Say’ regarding the proposed changes and enhancements. Importers of inorganic fertilisers are encouraged to provide feedback of the draft policy and offer any additional suggestions to the department.
The industry consultation period closes on 23 February 2024. A link to the platform can be found here.
Air Cargo Update
Air cargo demand remain steady, with a slight increase MoM, and remains flat YOY.
Capacity remains sufficient in most of regions with no significant backlogs, except from Israel, Hong Kong, and China.
There’s a slight capacity reduction as some airlines cut back passenger flights due to decreased winter travel demand.
Some seasonal upticks ex-China due to strong ecommerce growth. We have weekly consoles from USA, Europe, China, and South Africa into AU.
Please contact our team of supply chain professionals who will continue to provide you with the most competitive options to support your supply chain needs.
Seafreight Market Update
The Lunar New Year 2024, commonly known as the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is an important celebration among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean communities among others is approaching.
It is a time to celebrate the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year, and it is a time for traditions, family and feasting.
This celebration is not just celebrated in one day and for importers and exporters the long holiday can cause limited operations, labour shortages, and shipping delays.
This year Chinese New Year will fall on February 10th, 2024. The festival usually starts in late January and lasts for about two weeks, with the first seven days being a public holiday. On February the 24th, 2024, the Lantern Festival marks the end of this period.
Preparations for the holiday usually begin three weeks before the actual dates.
During these celebrations, many factories, ports, and shipping companies limit their operations. As a result, this may lead to supply chain disruptions, including high shipment volumes, limited capacity, longer wait times, lack of container availability, increased costs for importers and exporters, worker shortages leading to delivery delays, and less customer service availability.
To minimize disruptions during the Chinese New Year celebrations, importers and exporters must comprehend their supply chain requirements, plan shipments well in advance.
Given the current state of the market with external factors influencing sailing schedules, it is recommended to consider a minimum of three weeks lead time when raising your shipment orders.
Please be mindful of last-minute port omissions and terminal changes that may affect your supply chain and ensure you have adequate detention free time arrangements to mitigate costly container rental hire costs per day.
Additionally, it is recommended to split goods into smaller shipments, consider LCL (Less than a Container Load) select less congested ports, use different container types, and consider other modes of transport like airfreight.
We encourage you to contact our team of professionals who are ready to work with you to tailor suitable sailing options to meet your supply chain requirements.
HACCP certification achieved at our Melbourne warehouse
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certificate is internationally recognised as the best method of food risk management.
HACCP is an important feature in the import / export process of food and non-food items. As a food safety programme, it provides vendors, the public and government bodies with a high degree of comfort that food safety is being taken seriously and is well managed.
Today, many of the world’s best manufacturers and vendors use the system as a basis for their quality management programmes.
HACCP involves a comprehensive assessment and management of potential hazards in the supply chain, particularly focusing on critical points where hazards can be controlled or eliminated.
This certification ensures that Harders Contract Logistics adheres to internationally recognised standards, systematically identifies and addresses risks, and consistently maintains a secure environment for handling food products.
For our 3PL warehouse customers, the benefits of HACCP certification are substantial:
- it signifies our commitment to the highest standards of food safety
- it provides assurance that we employ rigorous measures to prevent contamination throughout the supply chain
- by identifying and controlling potential hazards, Harders Contract Logistics optimises processes, leading to enhanced operational efficiency
- a reliable and streamlined supply chain reduces the likelihood of product recalls, delays and disruptions
All of these points are paramount in industries where product safety and quality are non-negotiable.
The HACCP certification demonstrates our commitment to the food industry and its regulatory requirements.
The strategic alignment with global food safety standards mitigates risk, it facilitates the efficient import and export of food and non-food items thus allowing our customers to confidently focus on their core business.