The Australian government has prohibited the export of some equipment that could help efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, including:
- disposable face masks
- disposable gloves
- disposable gowns
- goggles, glasses or eye visors
- alcohol wipes
- hand sanitizer
Exemptions to these measures apply where:
- a person departing Australia takes a reasonable quantity of the items for personal use
- This exemption also applies to goods loaded as ship’s stores where the quantity is reasonable for personal or crew use
- the items are exported to a relative of the person for the relative’s personal use, and the export is not by international mail
- the items are exported by a humanitarian organisation, and the export is not by international mail
- the items are manufactured by the exporter, and the export is not by international mail
- export of the items is in line with the exporter’s normal business activities (and the exporter has an ABN and is registered under the GST Act) and the export is not by international mail. For example:
- they traded in these items (or similar forms of personal protective equipment or hygiene products) before 30 March 2020. This applies to companies that have regularly exported these types of goods or distributed them within Australia
- they export these items to a company they regularly export to or to a related entity (such as an Australian company exporting to an overseas branch or office of that company)
- they entered into a contract to export these goods prior to 30 March 2020
- the items are imported into Australia solely for the purpose of export to another country (transhipment) and remain in customs control while in Australia
Exporters who are eligible for an exemption should provide, or be willing to provide, evidence of their eligibility to their customs broker for assessment by the Australian Border Force, if required.
For more information on the import and export of goods during this period, go to Exportation of goods during COVID-19 human biosecurity period.