On 1 July 2016, the Australian Border Force (ABF) voluntary trade facilitation initiative, Australian Trusted Trader (ATT), opened to all Australian businesses active in the international supply chain. In the first six weeks of full operation, more than 300 businesses across industry have submitted expressions of interest. By 2020, ATT is expected to grow to over 1,000 Trusted Traders, covering 30 per cent of Australia’s two-way trade volume
To celebrate, an event was hosted by the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon. Peter Dutton MP. Key industry and government partners attended, including the Assisting Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. Keith Pitt MP. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Roman Quaedvlieg, joined the Minister in recognising Australia’s first accredited Trusted Traders – Teys Australia Beenleigh, Target Australia, Pacific Brands, and Techwool.
The value of government and industry partnerships was also recognised. All attendees were encouraged to continue their support through ongoing contribution to the design of the program – including attendance of an ATT workshop that followed the event.
ATT creates a fundamental change in the way the ABF processes legitimate trade flows across our border by introducing a two track system. The program supports partnership between government and businesses that are recognised and trusted as highly secure and low risk enterprises. This partnership allows the ABF to focus on high-risk consignments and businesses that are more likely to be non-compliant.
The two-track trade flow system will be enhanced by customs-to-customs Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) that enable government border agencies to recognise and accept each other’s audits, controls and authorisation, and remove a lot of the regulatory burden faced when doing international business. For Australian Trusted Traders it will mean they will receive preferential border treatment and trade facilitation benefits when conducting trade between MRA partner countries.
In July 2016, Australia’s first MRA was signed with New Zealand. This provides trusted Trans-Tasman exporters with fast-tracked customs processing. Members of the ATT programme and the New Zealand Customs Service Secure Export Scheme will benefit from the arrangement which is anticipated to allow up to 13 per cent of New Zealand import volume to Australia — totalling $3 billion — to be facilitated, along with $7.5 billion of Australian exports by 2020.
To apply for ATT, your business must have an Australian Business Number (ABN), two years of trading history, and be financially solvent. The program is open to importers, exporters, and service providers. Trusted Traders receive a suite of trade facilitation benefits including a dedicated account manager, priority service when requesting advanced rulings on tariff, valuation and origin, differentiated examinations at the border, and access to MRA.
