Submission to the Department of Home Affairs Border Permits Review

The Australian Chamber welcomes this opportunity to provide input to the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) Border Permits Review, as part of the whole-of-government trade modernisation agenda. The World Bank Doing Business Reports lists Australia as having the most expensive export and import border compliance among OECD high income economies, scoring last across the grouping in 2016, 2017, and 2018.1 The Australian Chamber supports the spirit and intent of the import/export regulations under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 and the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958, and agrees that Australia’s border and biosecurity arrangements must remain strong in order to protect Australia’s economy and the community. However, the spirit and intent of these regulations must also be balanced with the cost of doing business with Australia, both for Australian businesses, and for foreign investors seeking to do business with Australia