Date of issue: 25 June 2026
Date of effect: 1 July 2026
Reference Number: MAA 2026-15
Attention
- Industries—Industry bodies – Dairy Australia, Infant Nutrition Council, Dairy Export Industry Consultative Committee, Australian Food and Grocery Council
- Dairy Export establishments
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry — Central and Regional offices
- Exporters, AEPI and NEXDOC users
Purpose
This Market Access Advice (MAA) is to update stakeholders regarding certification parallel exchange arrangements for dairy exports to the Republic of Korea from 1 July 2026.
Summary
From 1 July 2026, the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will no longer require paper export certificates for the clearance of milk and milk products from Australia and will accept fully paperless electronic certification (eCert).
However, Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) will continue to require paper export certificates for clearance of these products. As a result, both electronic and paper certificates will continue to be issued for exports of milk and milk products to the Republic of Korea.
Certification for dairy exports to the Republic of Korea will be transmitted electronically to MFDS once it is issued in the Next Export Documentation System (NEXDOC). A paper certificate will also be issued for presentation to APQA. The eCert number will be the same as the paper certificate number.
There is no change to the process exporters must follow when lodging a Request for Export in NEXDOC. The issuance of eCerts and paper certificates will occur automatically for relevant exports.
If you have any questions, please contact exportstandards@aff.gov.au.
Micor
The Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) will be updated to reflect this market access advice. The department encourages users of Micor to subscribe to the Micor update service for a commodity-specific email that lists changes that have been made the preceding week.
The information provided in this advice is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.