Who does this notice affect?
Importers and brokers who have imported or plan to import goods containing or derived from foot and mouth disease (FMD)-susceptible species (including cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, giraffe, elephants, camelids (alpacas, llamas and camel)) to Australia from Germany since 14 November 2024.
What is happening?
Following notification from Germany on 10 January 2025 to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of FMD the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has is working to assess the biosecurity risk to Australia and what this might mean for import conditions for the following impacted commodities:
- Dairy that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
- Personal dairy and beef food items imported as passenger personal effects or through the mail into Australia from Germany.
- Reproductive material derived from cattle, sheep, goats, zoo bovids, giraffe or elephants sourced or exported from Germany.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
- Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
- Laboratory goods containing bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced, manufactured or exported from Germany.
To help mitigate the risk to Australia, Germany has been removed from the list of FMD-free countries effective 14 November 2024.
When happens next?
The department will shortly amend its FMD free list to reflect Germany's new FMD status. Any commercial dairy consignment or personal quantities of dairy and beef food items from Germany will be held under biosecurity control, effective immediately.
Over the coming days the department will undertake a detailed assessment of all traded goods from Germany and may introduce additional import restrictions for commodities, including pet food, stock feed, laboratory reagents and reproductive material.
More information will be made available via BICON alerts, industry advice notices and other official communication channels as this risk assessment progresses.
The department will also directly contact with any permit holders or permit applicants impacted by this outbreak to advise of any potential changes to import conditions that may be required to protect Australia's livestock production industries.
Further information
More information about FMD can be found on the department's website.
Please contact the department by phone 1800 900 090 or email to imports@aff.gov.au if you have any questions.