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Monday, 23 May 2011
Page: 4221

Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR (Gorton—Minister for Privacy and Freedom of Information, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice) (17:15): The Customs Tariff Amendment (2012 Harmonized System Changes) Bill 2011 contains approximately 800 amendments to the Customs Tariff Act 1995. These amendments implement changes resulting from the World Customs Organization's fourth review of the International Convention on the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System commonly referred to as the harmonised system.

As a signatory to the harmonised system, Australia is required to implement the changes resulting from the fourth review on 1 January next year. The amendments concentrate on environmental and social issues that are of global concern including the use of the harmonised system for identifying goods that are of importance to the food security program of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The review also creates new subheadings for specific chemicals including pesticides and ozone-depleting substances. This will facilitate the monitoring and control of international trade in these products under various United Nations treaties including the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The bill will preserve existing levels of industry protection and margins of tariff preference that apply to imported goods including goods imported under free trade agreements. This bill will provide certainty for Australia's importers and exporters and will ensure consistency with Australia's major trading partners. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that the bill be reported to the House without amendment.