BMSB Update 2025-2026 Season

The 2025-2026 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season is here once again. All high risk goods shipped from high risk countries from 1^st September 2025– 30^th April 2026 will require mandatory treatment. Breakbulk, opentop and flatrack containers must be treated offshore, while all other cargo types can be treated offshore or onshore.

A list of high risk goods and high risk countries can be found here.

The only changes to this year compared to previous years measures are outlined below:

·        Countries added to Emerging Risk Countries List – Republic of Korea and Japan.This means goods made in and shipped from these countries will just be subject to some random inspections. No treatment is required out of these countries, but its good practice for suppliers to check their cargo is free of pests before shipping. Shipments out of the UK and China are still on the Emerging countries list this season and still subject to random inspections.

·        Airfreight from USA and China that contains target high risk goods will also now be subject to random inspections. No mandatory treatment is required for airfreight out of these countries.

·        New offshore treatment method - Ethyl Formate. In Quarantine’s search for suitable alternatives to eventually phase out their reliance on Methyl Bromide, they have approved the use for Ethyl Formate as a treatment method this BMSB Season. Rates of treatment can be found here.

If you get your supplier to arrange offshore treatment prior to shipping, please ensure that the treatment provider is registered with Austreat.

A reminder that if you chose to treat your shipments onshore, please ensure that they are packed correctly to allow enough free airspace for the fumigant / heat to circulate throughout the container and for the equipment to be able to be put into the container correctly. Please do not pack target risk goods floor to ceiling inside containers as they cannot be treated normally in Australia.

If you need more information on this process, please do not hesitate to contact us.