Customs Amendment (Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Implementation) 2022

✦ Plain-English Summary

# Customs Amendment (Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2022

## What it does
This bill updates Australian customs law to make the Australia-UK free trade agreement actually work. It creates rules defining which UK goods qualify for special lower import duties, and gives customs officials new powers to check that goods genuinely come from the UK.

## Why it matters
If you buy British products, this could mean lower prices as tariffs drop. For Australian exporters sending goods to the UK, it opens reciprocal benefits. But it only kicks in once the trade deal officially comes into force.

## Key details
- **The timing:** The new customs rules don't actually start until the UK trade agreement enters force (the bill just prepares the legal framework). The Minister will announce when that happens.
- **What counts as UK goods:** Products qualify for lower tariffs if they're either entirely made in the UK, or made from materials produced in both the UK and Australia combined.
- **New inspection powers:** Customs officers get expanded authority to verify that imported goods actually originate from the UK and meet the agreement's requirements.

Official Description

Introduced with the Customs Tariff Amendment (Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2022, to implement Australia's obligations under the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the bill amends the Customs Act 1901 to: implement rules of origin to determine goods eligible for preferential tariff treatment in accordance with the agreement; enable regulations to prescribe certain record keeping obligations on exporters that export goods to the United Kingdom and who make a claim that goods exported are originating goods in accordance with the agreement, and producers of such goods; and enable an authorised officer to disclose certain information.

Full bill PDF →APH page →

Audit History

Introduced

27 Oct 2022

Last updated on APH

10 Apr 2026

Outcome date

23 Nov 2022

Last checked by Crossbench

yesterday

Full text indexed

yesterday

🗳️

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

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