BMSB Seasonal Measures 2024/2025

Posted on by amlogistics

What is BMSB?

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB)

  • Known as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB)
  • Exotic to Australia and origins from Asia, North America, Europe, Oceania and South America
  • Described as a shield shaped marbled bug up to 17 mm long that eats crops and ornamental plants

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is a Halyomorpha halys and belongs to the Pentatomidae family.  Native to China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries, it is now a pest that can enter from Asia, North America, Europe, Oceania, South America and the list continues to grow.

BMSB is shield shaped, mottled brown with a smooth rounded shoulder.  It can grow up to 17 mm long and feeds on crops and ornamental plants.  The bug produces an unpleasant odour when crushed.

Why is BMSB a concern?

BMSB poses a significant risk to Australia’s agriculture

  • Damages agricultural crops, fruits, nursery stock and ornamental plants
  • Feeds on over 300 plant species
  • A smelly nuisance in homes and buildings
  • Hitchhike on imported goods

BMSB is exotic to Australia and must be kept out.  They hitchhike on imported goods, including personal items, machinery, vehicles, ships, boats and aircraft.

The bugs damage agriculture crops, nursery stock and ornamental plants.  They feed on over 300 plant species, including sweet corn, tree nuts and fruits such as apricots, figs, apples, peaches and citrus.

The bugs pierce through the skin/surface of fruits and inject saliva, feeding on the juices of the fruit. This leaves dimpling on the externals, rotting and corking of the insides of the fruit. If impacted fruit is used for juice production, it could ruin the entire batch.

Who does BMSB affect?

There are seasonal measures that affect importers of targeted goods from targeted countries

  • New Zealand and Australian importers of;
  • Targeted goods from;
  • Target risk countries and;
  • Shipped via Seafreight between;
  • 01 September to 30 April (inclusive)

BMSB seasonal measures affect importers of targeted goods that are manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries, and have been shipped via seafreight between 01 September and 30 April (inclusive).  BMSB measures also apply to vessels that berth, load or tranship from target risk countries within the same period.

What are the BMSB seasonal measures?

Seasonal measures include specific treatment methodologies which are subjective to different types of sea cargo

  • Target high risk goods require mandatory treatment
  • Target risk goods are subject to random inspection
  • Standard FCL & LCL can be treated offshore or onshore
  • Breakbulk must be treated offshore only
  • Heat, Methyl Bromide and Sulfuryl Fluoride treatment only
  • Specific packing requirements to be followed

Goods that are classed as target high risk require mandatory treatment.  Goods that are classed as target risk are subject to random inspection.  Goods that are not targeted are not subject to BMSB measures unless packed with targeted goods.

Target high risk goods must be treated by an ‘approved’ treatment provider.  Treatment certificates will not be accepted from treatment providers that are unregistered, suspended, withdrawn or under review.

Standard FCL and LCL consignments can be treated offshore or onshore, whereas Breakbulk must be treated offshore only.

  • LCL must be treated at the container level
  • Breakbulk (includes Open Top, Flat Rack and Modified Containers) will be directed for export if not treated offshore

Treatment options currently include Heat Treatment, Methyl Bromide Fumigation and Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation.

Treated consignments maybe subject to random verification inspections.

There are specific packing requirements that allow treatments to work effectively.  Consignments that are not packed to the required standard will be directed to a 4.7 depot for a complete unpack and fumigation, which may require to perforate packaging.

Who are the target risk countries?

There are many countries that have been identified as Target Risk and Emerging Risk

  • There is a list of Target Risk Countries that are subject to BMSB measures for targeted goods
  • There is a list of Emerging Risk Countries that may be selected for random onshore inspection
  • These lists are subject to change and continuous review

Target Risk Countries currently include 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 currently include United Kingdom and China – Target High Risk goods do not require mandatory treatment, however subject to increased intervention through random inspection.

In addition to the target high risk goods, chapters 39, 94 and 95 will be subject to random inspections for emerging risk countries only.

What are the targeted goods?

Goods that fall within the following tariff classifications have been categorised as Target High Risk Goods or Target Risk Goods

Target High Risk Goods include;

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 include;

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

New, Unused and not Field Tested (NUFT)

Goods that fall within the following tariff chapters and manufactured from 01 December may be eligible for the NUFT scheme.

  • New, Unused and not Field Tested goods manufactured from 01 December and classified under certain tariff chapters may be exempt from mandatory treatment with a BMSB NUFT declaration.

The BMSB New, Unused and not Field Tested (NUFT) scheme allows for an exemption of mandatory treatment. The BMSB NUFT criteria relates to goods classified under certain tariff chapters and have a manufacture start date on or after 01 December of the current BMSB risk season.

Refurbished goods do not meet the criteria.

BMSB NUFT declaration may be used for eligible goods shipped as FCL, LCL or Break Bulk provided the goods are not packed with other untreated high risk non-eligible tariff goods.

Eligible Tariff Chapters include 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89

Treatment Options

Treatment options currently include Heat Treatment – Methyl Bromide Fumigation – Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation

* AusTreat has replaced the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme.

Packing Requirements

There are specific packing requirements that allow treatments to work effectively

  • Containers must be packed to allow sufficient free air space for fumigation gasses or heat treatment
  • Plastic wrapping must be clearly perforated
  • Detailed packing requirements can be found on the fumigation methodology document

There must be free space throughout the container to allow the fumigant or heat treatment to freely circulate around the target of the fumigation and to permit the positioning of sampling tubes.

The free air space requirements for effective treatment of a consignment will vary depending on the commodity and the method of packing.  As a guide, there should be at least 350 mm of free airspace in total, including 200 mm free air space above the commodity, 50 mm below and the remaining 100 mm at the sides and between the commodities, with a maximum load factor of 80%.

Where commodities are stacked on the floor there must be sufficient free air space between individual items to allow the treatment to reach throughout the entire enclosure.

If there is insufficient space to allow the monitoring tubes to be positioned according to AFAS requirements, then it is also unlikely that there will be enough free air space in the fumigation enclosure to allow for an effective fumigation.

Plastic wrapping must be clearly perforated to allow for effective treatment.

Untreated timber products must have at least one physical dimension which is less than 200 mm thick.

Where timber is the target of the fumigation it must be separated by a minimum of 5 mm of airspace every 200 mm (Basically holes or slashing every 20 cm. This separation can be horizontal or vertical).

More information

If you would like to organise a time to speak with us and discuss these measures in more detail or prepare a BMSB Seasonal Plan, please contact AM Logistics.