More Tips for Compliance

Last month we provided some tips to help our clients tidy up loose ends before the end of the soft start compliance period. Here are a few more tips to guide your compliance.

• Again, we need to emphasise that just because a supplier (or a sub-supplier) is FSC COC certified does not mean that the wood or paper product you are buying from them is FSC certified.

• Risk assessments have to be done by the importer – not the supplier – before the regulated timber products enter Australia. We have been able to assist quite a few importers with “consignments on the docks” – often referred by their customs broker - quite quickly. With others, we have provided a spot check on the particular consignment and provided advice of how they could be compliant in future imports. Remember – due diligence has to be done before it enters Australia.

• Use Google News Alerts to make you aware of any allegations of involvement in illegal logging by your specific suppliers and sub-suppliers.

• If you are authorising your customs broker to answer YES to the Community Protection Question on a particular timber or paper product, make sure you have the right tariff code on the authorisation. I’ve seen importers write the tariff code of the raw materials that go into making their product overseas rather than the code for their actual product they are importing. Ask your customs broker if you aren’t sure.