Customs Point-in-Time Service Updates

The Customs Point-in-Time Service has been updated to include the Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Act 2018 (Cth) (Act 112 of 2018), the Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Act 2018 (Cth) (Act 127 of 2018) and the Customs Amendment (Collecting Tobacco Duties at the Border) Act 2018 (Cth) (Act 131 of 2018).

Act 112 of 2018

The purpose of the Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Act 2018 (the Act) is to amend the Customs Act 1901 (the Customs Act) to introduce new rules of origin for goods imported into Australia from a Party to the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (the Agreement). The Agreement is a comprehensive World Trade Organisation consistent regional economic integration agreement, which covers goods, services and investment and established rules and commitment between the Parties to the Agreement.

The amendments contained in the Act will enable eligible goods that satisfy the new rules of origin to be entered into Australia at preferential rates of customs duty. The amendments will also impose obligations on exporters of eligible goods to a Party to the Agreement for which a preferential rate of customs duty is claimed, and on people who produce such goods.

Act 127 of 2018

The purpose of the Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Act 2018 is to amend the Customs Act 1901 to introduce new rules of origin for goods imported into Australia from a Party to the Comprehensive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (the TPP-11).

The TPP-11 amendments contained in the Act will enable eligible goods that satisfy the new rules of origin to be entered into Australia at preferential rates of customs duty. The amendments will also impose obligations on exporters of eligible goods to a Party to the TPP-11 for which a preferential rate of customs duty is claimed, and on manufacturers who produce such goods.

Act 131 of 2018

The Customs Amendment (Collecting Tobacco Duties at the Border) Act 2018 will amend the Customs Act 1901 (the Customs Act) as follows, from 1 July 2019:

• Tobacco importers will be required to pay import duty on tobacco products upon importing tobacco products into Australia
• It will also no longer be possible for duty to be paid on tobacco products on a weekly or monthly basis in accordance with permissions granted under section 69 of the Customs Act
• Movement permissions to allow the movement of tobacco products to or from warehouses will cease on 1 July 2019. However, movement permissions that do not relate to warehouses will continue to be granted after this date to allow tobacco products to be moved, including between wharves and customs depots
• Special arrangements will apply to tobacco products that are still in warehouses on 1 July 2019

Tobacco products that are in duty free stores or warehouses exclusively used to supply aircraft’s stores or ship’s stores on 1 July 2019 will be exempt from these transitional arrangements.

The amendments made by these Acts have been updated in the Point-in-Time Customs Service current to 7 November 2018. (NB: subscription required).

If you are not already a subscriber to this or other Point-in-Time Services then please contact us to find out more or to take a free trial.