Table of Contents

The Ultimate Stink Bug Season Guide [2022/23 Update]

Uncategorized

The Ultimate Stink Bug Season Guide [2022/23 Update]

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is a well-known pest in the shipping industry, posing a significant biosecurity risk to Australia. The bug is known to ‘hitchhike’ on cargo as it travels overseas, threatening severe damage to local crops should it enter the Australian region.

Each year, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry impose strict regulations to prevent the BMSB’s presence in Australia, with a failure to comply resulting in possible destruction of your cargo.

Below, we review last year’s season and also look at what you can expect for the 2022-2023 Stink Bug Season ahead.

Key changes for 2022-2023 Stink Bug Season

  • The number of emerging-risk countries has reduced to 2: China and the United Kingdom only
  • Tariffs 39, 94 and 95 will become subject to random inspections for emerging risk countries only
  • The “120 hours policy” for untreated goods has been amended for goods that have been rolled (with evidence)

Want A Summary? Download Below!

The Ultimate Stink Bug Season Guide [2022/23 Update]

What is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug?

The BMSB (Halyomorpha halys) is a brown insect with a shield-like appearance, native to Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. It was believed to have been accidentally introduced into the United States in the early 1990s (having been discovered for the first time in Allentown, Pennsylvania), where it soon gained its reputation as a pest.

The BMSB feeds on around 300 crops, including critical Australian crops including but not limited to apple, citrus, soybean, tomato and corn. BMSB can cause severe damage to these crops, including the malformation of tree fruit and the stoppage of seed development. Whilst they do not present a risk to human health, they have been known to take residence in people’s homes, where they emit an unpleasant smell.

Further detailed scientific information can be found in the Department’s September 2017 Guide to the Identification of brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, and other similar bugs.

Life stages of BMSB.
Life stages of BMSB

Stink Bug Season 2021 Review

During the 2021-2022 Stink Bug Season:

  • There were 4,169 inspections
  • There were 77,096 consignments that were treated offshore
  • There were 158 detections of BMSB (both alive and dead) – this was less than the number of detections in the 2020-21 BMSB season
  • 12 incidents of alive bugs detected were detected at the Biosecurity Intervention Point
  • 6 incidents of alive bugs were detected post-biosecurity
  • The department directed 67 consignments for export due to arriving non-compliant to import conditions regarding mandatory offshore treatment requirements
cargo-container-inspection-1024x576

2022-2023 Stink Bug Season

The 2022-2023 Stink Bug Season will take place from 1 September 2022 to 30 April 2023 (inclusive). Strict measures will apply to cargo arriving into the country during this period.

This means if your vessel leaves on August 31st, stink bug measures will not apply, however, should your vessel be delayed, stink bug requirements may be enforced. ICE recommends you consider fumigating cargo from August due to the delays the industry is experiencing.

The date the goods have been shipped will be the ‘shipped on board’ date as specified in the Ocean Bill of Lading. The Department will not accept “gate in” dates and times as the relevant date to determine when goods have been shipped.

All affected cargo will need to be treated if exported between these dates.

Who is affected?

The 2022-2023 BMSB seasonal measures apply to:

  • Certain goods (target high-risk goods and target risk goods) manufactured in, or shipped from, target risk countries as ocean freight. Any target high risk or target risk goods manufactured in or shipped from these countries are subject to the BMSB seasonal measures.
  • Any vessel that berths at, loads or tranships goods via these countries will also be subject to heightened vessel surveillance.

Target Risk Countries

In the 2022-23 season, the stink bug season measures will apply to the countries outlined in the below infographic.

The Ultimate Stink Bug Season Guide [2022/23 Update]

If your cargo originates from any of the above countries, your goods must be treated.

Note: The following countries have been identified as emerging risk countries for the 2022-23 BMSB risk season and may be selected for a random onshore inspection: the United Kingdom and China.

For shipments coming from China, random inspections will apply to the goods you ship between 1 September 2022 to 31 December 2022 (inclusive) For shipments coming from the United Kingdom, random inspections will apply to goods shipped between 1 December 2022 to 30 April 2023 (inclusive).

If your cargo originates from any of the above countries, your goods must be treated.

Note: The following countries have been identified as emerging risk countries for the 2022-23 BMSB risk season and may be selected for a random onshore inspection: the United Kingdom and China.

For shipments coming from China, random inspections will apply to the goods you ship between 1 September 2022 to 31 December 2022 (inclusive) For shipments coming from the United Kingdom, random inspections will apply to goods shipped between 1 December 2022 to 30 April 2023 (inclusive).

Addition of China

On 14 February 2022, China was added to the BMSB Emerging Risk Country List.

This change came as a result of detections of live BMSB in some containerised commodities originating in China. As such, there will be increased random inspection activities will apply to the following goods:

  • Goods manufactured in, or shipped from China and,
  • FCL / FCX containers – for goods shipped in sealed 6 hard-sided containers and,
  • Goods tariffed as Chapters 39, 68, 69, 70, 73, 84, 85 and 89.

China continues to be on the Emerging Risk Country list for the 2022-23 BMSB season.

Goods At Risk of Falling Into BMSB Measures

There are two categories that your goods may fall into:

  • high risk goods; and
  • target risk goods.

High-risk goods are goods that require mandatory treatment for BMSB.

Target risk goods are subject to increased onshore intervention in Australia through random inspection.

Tariffs 39, 94 and 95 (also known as Chapters 94 and 95) will be subject to random inspections for emerging risk countries in the 2022-23 BMSB season.

  • Chapter 39 includes plastics and articles thereof – – including sub chapters I and II.
  • Chapter 94 includes chairs, medical, surgical furniture, household and office furniture, mattresses and bedding and furnishings, lighting and prefabricated building.
  • Chapter 95 includes toys, games, game consoles, parlour games, festive articles, sports and exercise equipment, fishing equipment and travelling circus and amusement equipment.

These goods will be subject to random inspections (emerging risk countries only -China and the UK).

For all other goods not categorised as high risk and target risk goods, BMSB seasonal measures do not apply. However, don’t let that get you complacent. These goods may still be subject to these measures if they are part of a container or consignment that does contain any target or target high-risk goods.

Target High Risk GoodsTarget Risk Goods
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
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 thereof94 – chairs, medical, surgical furniture, household and office furniture, mattresses and bedding and furnishings, lighting and prefabricated building (applicable to China & UK only)95 – toys, games, game consoles, parlour games, festive articles, sports and exercise equipment, fishing equipment and travelling circus and amusement equipment (applicable to China & UK only)

Please note that there are other circumstances that may mean you are exempt from the seasonal measures. This includes:

  • Certain goods packed and sealed before 1 September 2022
  • Certain goods stored or transported to non-target risk countries before 1 September 2022
  • New, Unused and not Field Tested (NUFT) goods
  • Certain household goods and personal effects imported as unaccompanied personal effects

Ensure you are familiar with these exemptions as detailed on the Department’s website.

What measures will be required?

When importing goods into Australia during the 2022-2023 Stink Big Season, you will need to take important note of the following:

  • Breakbulk, flatrack and open top containers (including in-gauge) MUST be treated offshore;
  • All goods treated in a target risk country prior to 1 December 2022 will be subject to a ‘120 hour post-treatment window’. Goods that tranship in a target risk country are also subject to this rule. This means that, after goods have been treated in a target risk country, they must be loaded into a container and sealed, or loaded onto a vessel for export from the target risk country within 120 hours.
  • For containerised goods, they must be sealed in a container
    • For break bulk goods (flat-rack and open-top), they must be shipped on board the vessel.
  • However, if breakbulk has been shipped outside the 12-hour window (but less than 48 hours over), and you can provide evidence showing so, then the in-transit policy may be enacted. Rolled shipments may be accepted, but you’ll need to display evidence.
  • Six-sided sealed containers can be treated onshore or offshore at the container level – the recommendation, however, is to treat these containers offshore to remove the risk of overpacked and tightly packaged items needing to be unpacked for treatment on arrival (which ultimately creates more delays and added costs for you);
  • Goods requiring offshore treatment and arriving untreated will be prevented from discharge and/or directed for re-export on arrival;
  • All target risk goods will be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection; and
  • Non-target high-risk and non-target-risk goods are not subject to BMSB measures unless they are part of a consignment/container that contains target high-risk and target-risk goods.
  • At approved arrangements, inspect (unpack) inspections will now occur instead of secure seals intact inspections. This means inspection time for containers will be reduced from 2 hours to approximately 30 minutes – 1 hour.

Ensure you familiarise yourself with all the requirements mandated by the Department here.

Cargo Fumigation and Treatment Providers

cargo-fumigation-treatment-3-1024x683

The Department continues to have three approved BMSB treatments:

  • Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation;
  • Methyl Bromide Fumigation; and
  • Heat treatment.

For onshore treatments, you can find a list of approved arrangement providers here.

For offshore treatments, you can find a list of approved arrangement providers here.

In both cases, you will need to present a treatment certificate.

If a treatment provider is suspended during the season, no certificate issued by that provider will be accepted regardless of date of issue. This means goods will need to either be retreated on arrival, exported to their country of origin or voluntarily disposed in an approved manner. There is no allowance for goods in transit.

The Department and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries have aligned the application processes and registration – the scheme allows BMSB treatments to be conducted for both Australia and New Zealand.

Safeguarding Arrangements Scheme

The  2023-23 Safeguarding Arrangements Schemehas been developed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for importers in Australia. It acts as an alternative clearance route for goods imported via sea freight in six hard-sided shipping containers during stink bug season.

The scheme allows certain importers to be recognised for their ability to manage the biosecurity risk in their supply chain so their goods are not exposed or contaminated with BMSB or other exotic pests. In the 2022-23 season, applicants for the scheme will need to meet certain eligibility criteria.

Ensure you understand the complete criteria you must satisfy in order to successfully apply for the scheme, which you can learn here.

Stink Bug: Australian Case Study

A prominent example of the stink bug severely impacting a cargo shipment occurred in December 2019 when a cargo vessel carrying over 3,500 cars was turned away after the BMSB was found onboard. The Agriculture Minister at the time, Bridget McKenzie, stated the risk onboard “was deemed too great to allow the ship to dock in Australia”.

Car Advice reported that around 4,000 Hyundai vehicles and 6,000 Kia vehicles would be delayed for several months after four ships were found with the bug. The ship Orca Ace was reportedly directed to leave Australian waters for treatment offshore, whilst the ship Dugong Ace was “subject to quarantine”.

The Minister reminded the industry that these insects would have a hugely destructive impact on Australian crops and were also a “real headache” for residents due to the smell they emit.

Ro-Ro vessels are impacted during stink bug season

To prevent BMSB from entering Australia, the Federal Government will put in place the following:

  • Heightened surveillance for Roll on/roll off (ro-ro) vessels;
  • Mandatory self-inspections for ro-ro vessels;
  • Responses to specific questions will be required from ro-ro vessels as part of pre-arrival reporting requirements;
  • Mandatory seasonal pest inspection on arrival in Australia for all ro-ro vessels that berth at, load or trans-ship via target risk countries; and
  • Exemptions from mandatory inspections for certain vessels approved under the Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme. You can read more about this scheme here.
Ro-Ro-Vessel-1024x576

November 2022 Update

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has issued an Import Industry Notice advising temporary measures for Roll-on-Roll-off vessels arriving from China.

These temporary measures include:

  • RoRo vessels that are loaded with cargo at a Chinese port will now be required to undergo a mandatory seasonal pest intervention.
  • This will see this type of cargo undergo a seasonal pest inspection (SPI) on arrival, followed by a mandatory fogging and residual spray insecticide.
  • A final follow up SPI will then be performed again before the cargo will be cleared.

All vessels which are partaking in the 2022-34 BMSB Season Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS), will now be subject to these additional measures.

These measures have been implemented due to a recent increase in the detection of the brown marmorated stink bug in Chinese-origin break bulk cargo and RoRo vessels. Note also that all vessels which are partaking in the 2022-34 BMSB Season Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS), will now be subject to these additional measures.

What Happens If I Don’t Comply With the BMSB Measures?

Failure to comply with the Stink Bug Season measures can result in delays and extra costs, at a minimum. Importers may have to bear the cost of onshore fumigation by an approved provider, storage of your cargo while it waits for treatment, and face days of delays that may impact your business.

Your cargo might be even at risk of being reexported or destroyed depending on the conditions. It is always recommended to let experts assess your cargo requirements.

If you need any further advice on how to prepare for the 2022-2023 BMSB season, get in touch with one of our friendly Stink Bug Season experts on 1300 227 461 for a no-obligation free quote below.

Request A Quote

we consult. we plan. we deliver. footer image

We Consult. We Plan. We Deliver.

  • CONSULT – We discuss your specific needs.
  • PLAN – We develop a bespoke tailored plan that is cost-effective & efficient.
  • DELIVER – We manage your shipment and keep you updated from beginning to end.

REQUEST A QUOTE