International Standards

The international trade standards in Australia specify the ways of doing export and import businesses that help make the products and services safe, reliable and profitable. Standards Australia is Australia’s leading standards development organization, responsable for establishing the international export and import standards in order to affect benificiarry the country's echonomy. While not a government agency, Standards Australia is recognized as the leading standards development body in Australia.

Standards Australia has a policy of adopting international standards wherever possible. This policy is in line with Australia's obligations under the WTO’s Code of Practice, which requires the elimination of technical standards as barriers to international trade. As a result, approximately 33 percent of current Australian standards are fully or substantially aligned with international standards. Areas of industry where no significant international standards exist include building, construction, and occupational health and safety. Around one third of Australian standards have no international equivalent.

The main roles of Standards Australia are: 

1. Prepare, frame, modify, or amend standard specifications for quality of commodities, processes, practices and services imported into, produced or provided in, imported or exported from different countries;

2. Promote research in relation to standards; 

3. Provide for the examination and testing of commodities, processes, and practices, and for those purposes may either establish such laboratories and other facilities or arrange with such laboratories as may be necessary;

4. Approve the use of standards mark for products and commodities or services complying with Australian standards; 

5. Undertake educational work and promotion in connection with standardization and quality control; 

6. Collect and disseminate information relating to standards and related matters, including the publication of reports, pamphlets, booklets, journals, and any other publications; 

7. Maintain a library and publish and print documents including standards

8. Provide technical advice and assistance in standards and quality control matters.

THE MAIN RULES

Imported consumer products, such as food products, must comply with state government packaging regulations. Australian states agree that any non-farm product, including imports, meeting the legal requirements of one state, may be sold in all other states and territories. State agricultural quarantines prohibit interstate trade of some items. 

Product Certification 

SAI Global provides organizations around the world with information services and solution for managing risk, achieving compliance and driving business improvement. Before exporting oor importing any kind oof products, the person has to demonstrate a product certificate, which demonstrates the provenance of the product. This is required in order to protect the consumers from falcificates. 

Accreditation 

The Standards Accreditation Board’s role is to review and accredit standards development

organizations that wish to develop and publish Australian Standards.

The accreditation process determines the competency of an organization to develop Australian

standards. More information about the process by which the SAB grants accreditation can be

found on the Board’s website: http://www.absdo.org.au/   

Labeling and Marking 

Some electrical products are required to carry an approved energy label. These products include: refrigerators and freezers, clothes washers, dryers, dishwashers, and air conditioners. A larger list is regulated on the basis of minimum energy efficiency levels and includes the preceding list as well as electrical motors and transformers. 

The Australian Government has introduced a new country of origin food labelling system, which commenced on 1 July 2016. Under the new system, country of origin labelling requirements come under Australian Consumer Law. 

Packaged food must carry a statement identifying either:

1. the country where the food was made, produced or grown; or

2. the country where the food was manufactured or packaged and that the food is a mix of ingredients imported into that country or a mix of local and imported ingredients.

Country of origin labeling applies to unpacked fresh and processed fruit, vegetables, nuts, spices, herbs, legumes, seeds, fish (including shellfish) and meat (pork, beef, sheep and chicken).

For example, the following unpacked foods are required to have country of origin labeling:

1. fresh and sun-dried tomatoes

2. processed ham and bacon

3. fresh and smoked fish fillets, and crumbed fish fillets

4. fresh apples and dried apples

5. chicken, pork, beef and lamb.

Packaging

Before exporting or importing any type of product, the person has to take into account a number of important international regulations. According to the Australian trade standards, the packages should carry the following information on the label: 

1. Name of the product;

2. List of ingredients (if food);

3. Name and complete address of manufacturer;

4. Date of manufacture;

5. Best before date or use by date or date of expiry;

6. Name and address of importer.

 The package should not influence badly the country's environment and does not contain any chemical elements, forbiden for peoples' health.