This is an advance notice that Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season starts again on 1st September and runs to 30th April 2026. This means MPI have extra requirements for imported cargo from countries that have BMSB populations.
Broadly, the procedures and requirements are the same as last season. This means for our LCL containers from Japan, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Spain, we can only take cargo that is either low risk (e.g. food) or high-risk goods (e.g. auto parts) that are accompanied by a declaration that the cargo was manufactured indoors and stored indoors prior to export.
Italy has the most risk of infestation and has a separate procedure. All LCL containers need to be treated for BMSB before they are loaded on the vessel. The process we use is heat treatment where hot air is circulated around the container until it reaches 60 Deg C. So, cargo that is shipped as LCL needs to be packed in a way that will not be damaged by this process.
Cargo that is transhipped via Singapore or Hong Kong but originates from BSMB countries will be stopped in the transshipment port for treatment.
FCL loads from any of these countries also need to comply:
| Albania | Bosnia | France | Japan | Netherlands | Slovakia | ||||||
| Andorra | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Georgia | Kosovo | Poland | Spain | ||||||
| Armenia | Bulgaria | Germany | Liechtenstein | Portugal | Switzerland | ||||||
| Austria | Canada | Greece | Luxemburg | Romania | Turkey | ||||||
| Azerbaijan | Croatia | Hungary | Macedonia | Russia | Ukraine | ||||||
| Belgium | Czech Republic | Italy | Moldova | Serbia | USA | ||||||
| Uzbekistan (note; Uzbekistan is a new addition to the list this year) | |||||||||||
The procedure is the same as last season. Any risk goods (e.g. engine parts) will need to have a manufacturers declaration confirming the cargo is new and was produced indoors and stored indoors prior to export. If cargo is not new or stored indoors, it will need to be treated for BMSB by either fumigation or heat treatment.
FCL’s from Italy will all require treatment (either fumigation or heat treatment) unless they are considered sensitive cargo by MPI. Examples of sensitive cargo are food, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.
The other category of cargo to bring to your attention is any goods that need to move in open top containers or flat racks. These are very high risk of BMSB infestation as they are open to the environment. MPI requires all shipments of these container types to be treated for BMSB prior to loading. The MPI window for flat racks and open tops treatment at origin is only 5 days between treatment and loading on a vessel. This is a very small window that requires a lot of planning.
This year we are introducing a BMSB Administration Fee of US$35 per shipment on all LCL and FCL cargo from the USA and Canada to New Zealand and Australia.
If you require any additional information or clarification on the above, please do not hesitate to contact us.
www.oceanbridge.com
Auckland | Tauranga | Napier | Nelson | Dunedin | Christchurch | Brisbane | Sydney | Melbourne
This is an advance notice that Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season starts again on 1st September 2025 and runs to 30th April 2026.
This means MPI have extra requirements for imported cargo from countries that have BMSB populations (Target Risk Countries listed below). Broadly the procedures and requirements will be the same as previous years.
Target Risk Countries:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China (heightened vessel surveillance only), Croatia, Czechia, France, Japan (heightened vessel surveillance only), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea (heightened vessel surveillance only), Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States of America, Uzbekistan
We recommend discussing with your suppliers and placing orders to ship prior to the 1st September.
Contact your Oceanbridge Representative for further clarification and/or any questions. Alternatively, you can contact me directly as below:
Jonathan Cousins
Australia Country Manager
jonathan.cousins@oceanbridge.com
+61 44 703 5307
www.oceanbridge.com
Auckland | Tauranga | Napier | Nelson | Dunedin | Christchurch | Brisbane | Sydney | Melbourne
