Reform Progress
Results achieved by the Simplified Trade System Taskforce over the past 3 years showed benefits to business. This included delivery of regulatory changes, co-designed with business, to incrementally simplify the process for imports and exports.
Reforms implemented:
- A Customs Regulatory Sandbox established under the Customs Act 1901 to facilitate time-limited, controlled trials. It uses an innovative regulatory framework to drive evidence-based reform to Australian customs legislation.
- The Go Global Toolkit is a single source of online information on how to export priority sector goods. It includes regulatory and border compliance requirements.
- A Biosecurity Portal gives import clients the ability to make and manage inspection booking requests. They can also view direction information and lodge inspection outcomes 24/7 through an online system.
- An Integrated Cargo System (ICS) real-time notifications function for industry ICS system degradation and outages. This is through client self-registration and providing SMS and/or email customer notification functionality.
Reforms underway:
- The Digital Trade Accelerator Program (DTAP) will deliver 2 small and targeted investments in digital projects. This will have early benefits for business and government over 2 years:
- This project will improve targeting cargo for border and biosecurity protection through improved customs and risk assessments.
- It will also improve business productivity by facilitating how government connects with, and shares trade-related data with business, initially for cargo clearance status.
- A cross-border trade data sharing framework developed with agencies and business to standardise and share cross-border trade data between agencies by default. This will simplify future cross-border trade processes.
- Foundations to enable a Single Trade Environment includes piloting services that test hypotheses to address known business pain points around identity, messaging systems and exploring new technologies.
- Legislative amendments to the Customs Act 1901 will strengthen the customs licensing regime and digitise customs processes for the return of seized goods. It will also reduce administrative burdens through streamlined processes. This is subject to parliamentary processes.
- Agricultural traceability and credentials 'ecosystem' work to harmonise traceability standards and data is underway. DAFF is delivering industry grants that support different sectors to expand their traceability capabilities.
- Digital Verification Platform (DVP) is an initiative to support a paperless trade environment aligned with international standards. This will enable the creation and use of high-integrity verifiable digital trade documents. A trial with Thailand Customs was completed in 2024 to digitally verify certificates of origin aligned to Free Trade Agreements.
- The Simplified Targeting and Enhanced Processing System (STEPS) initiative will make cargo clearance faster, simpler and support biosecurity management. Benefits to business include reduced delays and costs at the border by making systems more efficient. Delivery is underway including digitising manual processes and documents.
- The Digital Services to Take Farmers to Markets (TFTM) initiative provides streamlined and digital agriculture export services. Benefits include greater transparency to businesses, reducing the time it takes for products to get to export markets, and cutting processing times. Delivery is underway, with benefits to date including an exporter self-service for permits and digital certificates to the European Union.
- Exploring options to implement the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) to support transitioning to paperless trade. Led by the Attorney General's Department, this reform would allow businesses to use electronic versions of key trade documents like bills of lading.
- Streamlining the Cargo Intervention Model (SCIM) involves co-designing, testing, and evaluating new intervention models. This is through real time trials in the sea cargo environment and developing threat detection prototypes. This work is led by ABF and builds on DAFF's air cargo supply chain trials. SCIM, once fully implemented will reduce inspection times and unlock trade efficiencies in the supply chain. This will have positive flow-on effects to Australian consumers who will receive their imported goods faster and with more certainty.
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