Before you buy — questions to settle first

• Confirm the machine's year of manufacture. If it was built before approximately 1990, asbestos must be assessed as a live question before shipment (see below).
• Confirm the country of origin of the machine — UK-manufactured vs continental European manufacture matters for BMSB risk and potentially for UK FTA duty preference.
• Confirm the planned shipping season — if the machine is from a continental European origin and ships during the Northern Hemisphere winter months (roughly September to April), BMSB seasonal measures will likely apply.

Who handles what at the Australian border

• DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) — biosecurity inspection and compliance.
• Australian Border Force — customs, import declarations, duty and GST.
• Your Australian customs broker — lodges the import declaration, advises on HS classification, duty and GST; appoint one who handles machinery regularly.

Customs, duty and GST

• Confirm the correct HS classification for your machine with your Australian customs broker.
• Confirm whether UK-origin preference applies under the UK–Australia FTA. Machines manufactured elsewhere and merely shipped through the UK may not meet origin rules — confirm machine by machine.
• Import GST: 10% applies to most machinery imports.
• Duty rates on most common construction and agricultural machinery classifications are low or zero — confirm the exact rate for your HS code.
• For a clean, duty-free machine, total initial border cash outlay is typically in the range of 11–18% of machine value, driven mainly by GST plus broker, port and biosecurity fees. If BMSB treatment applies or DAFF issues arise, costs can rise materially above that range.

DAFF biosecurity — what inspectors look for

DAFF inspectors are looking for contamination that could introduce pests or disease to Australia. On used machinery, target contaminants are:

• Soil and organic matter — the primary vector. Found in: track frames, wheel arches, belly plates, linkage pins, under mudguards, engine bays, cab floor mats, bucket teeth, blade faces.
• Plant material — seeds, leaves, bark, straw, hay residue. Particularly relevant for agricultural equipment.
• Insects and larvae — live insects in any life stage, including eggs and pupae. Machines stored outdoors or with gaps in cab seals present higher risk.
• Animal-derived material — manure, blood, animal residue. Relevant for livestock-handling and agricultural equipment.

The standard: DAFF requires used machinery to arrive visibly free of soil, plant material, insects and other organic contamination — applied to the whole machine, including every trap point.

Pre-export cleaning checklist

A professional machinery cleaning contractor — not a hand car wash or a basic pressure wash — is required.

• Undercarriage and tracks: water at pressure plus manual attention to track links, rollers, sprockets, idler wheels and track frame internals.
• Wheel arches and mudguards: remove all soil build-up behind tyres and under mudguards on wheeled machines.
• Engine bay: clean dust and soil from engine bay, hydraulic lines and fittings.
• Cab interior: floor mats, cab floor seals, air filter housings — particularly thorough on agricultural machines.
• Buckets, blades and attachments: clean to bare metal, not just wiped. All ground-engaging tools.
• Hollow sections and cavities: chassis rails, A-frames, lifting beams and any hollow structural member — inspect and seal or treat if BMSB-sensitive.
• Obtain a cleaning record from the contractor documenting what was done.

A proper pre-export clean costs a fraction of a DAFF-ordered remediation at an Australian port. Port cleaning is expensive — both in the rates charged and the storage costs that accumulate while the machine is being dealt with.

BMSB — Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

This is a separate requirement from general cleaning. It applies when a machine comes from a BMSB-risk country (primarily continental Europe) during the risk season (broadly September to April — Northern Hemisphere winter, when bugs seek overwintering sites in machinery, cab seals and hollow sections).

Asbestos — pre-1990 machines

Australia has a strict and enforced ban on the importation of asbestos. Used machinery manufactured before approximately 1990 commonly used asbestos in gaskets, brake linings, clutch facings, and heat shields and insulation.

Export from the UK

• UK export declaration lodged.
• Commercial invoice prepared: accurate machine description and declared value — wrong descriptions or values cause delays and penalties.
• Bill of lading obtained.
• Packing details prepared.
• BMSB treatment certificate (if required) prepared for Australian customs broker.
• Cleaning record prepared for Australian customs broker.

Summary — consequences of non-compliance

If DAFF identifies contamination on arrival:

• Inspection charges and supervised port clean at your cost, plus storage costs while being dealt with.
• Mandatory fumigation or treatment at your cost.
• Mandatory export at your expense.
• In cases involving prohibited material (including asbestos): destruction.

Port storage at a major Australian port accumulates quickly. Prevention is always cheaper.

The safe pre-export sequence

1. Confirm HS code, duty rate and UK FTA preference eligibility.
2. Check manufacture date — asbestos survey if pre-1990.
3. Confirm BMSB applicability for origin country and shipping season.
4. Commission professional cleaning to DAFF standard; obtain cleaning record.
5. If BMSB treatment required: book approved provider, obtain treatment certificate.
6. Ensure commercial invoice is accurate.
7. Appoint an Australian customs broker who handles machinery regularly.

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