The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has issued Industry Advice Notice 106-2026 confirming that most biosecurity and imported-food regulatory charges will increase by 3.8 percent on 1 July 2026. New fees will also apply to companion-animal imports, live garden snails at the Post Entry Quarantine facility and certain avian consignments. For global mobility teams, the change will directly affect the clearance costs of household pets, laboratory animals and specialist food shipments that often accompany corporate relocations. DAFF will introduce fixed-fee diagnostics for international vessels from November, moving away from time-and-materials billing in a bid to create price certainty. The cost-recovery hikes follow a 2023 legislative overhaul that indexed charges to DAFF’s operating budget. Importers, customs brokers and freight forwarders must update their systems before the end of the financial year to avoid invoicing errors. DAFF recommends stakeholders review the 2026-27 Biosecurity Cost Recovery Implementation Statement for full pricing tables. Companies running time-critical supply chains – including fresh-food caterers for corporate campuses and cruise-ship operators – are being told to factor the higher fees into budgeting and to lodge Import Permit applications early, as a year-end surge in submissions is expected.
