The Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) continues to receive concerns from members in the grain and horticulture trades in respect to proposed changes in export cost recovery arrangements. These changes are detailed in the Cost Recovery Implementation Statement: Plant exports certification, 2017-18.

The proposed changes include:

• an increase in phytosanitary certificate issuance for grain and seeds from $38 to $51;
• an increase in phytosanitary certificate issuance for horticultural products from $38 to $76 (a 100% increase);
• An increase in tonnage levies for horticultural products of 260%.

This comes after considerable delays in phytosanitary issuance were reported during last peak season by grain interests due to a lack of adequate departmental resourcing and stronger than expected export trade volumes.

FTA/APSA members have expressed concerns that:

• Any increases in cost recovery charges must be met with equivalent increases in service delivery;
• That the quantum of the increases appears to not be consistent with the Department's Cost Recovery Guidelines (CRG);
• That consultation with APSA and other industry stakeholders has not been adequate.

Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) will be working with the Australian Horticultural Exporters and Importers Association (AHEIA) on a formal response to the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources while the matter is open for public consultation.

Australian Horticultural Exporters and Importers Association (AHEIA)

Since 2017, FTA & APSA has provided advocacy support to the AHEIA under a formal arrangement for any matters relating to trade and international logistics.

AHEIA currently supports $1.7BN worth of import and export trade.

FTA will continue to support the advocacy activities of AHEIA and the interests of it's members and their logistics service providers.

Industry submission to the proposed cost recovery arrangements

If members would like to contribute to the FTA/APSA or AHEIA submissions please email your feedback to secretariat@auspsa.com or tnikro@ftalliance.com.au by 28 February 2018.

Travis Brooks-Garrett- FTA/APSA

Proposed changes to DAWR cost recovery for export