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Chemicals subject to the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions
Permissions
Importation
Manufacture and use
Exportation
Chemicals to which these controls apply
Penalties
Other permissions
Contact information
Further information
Mercury compounds
On 18 August 2004 Australia became a party to two international agreements relating to the trade of certain hazardous chemicals. These agreements are the:
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
To implement these conventions, controls on importation, manufacture, use and exportations have been introduced under the:
- Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Regulations 1995 (Agvet Regulations)
- Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956
- Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958
The Agvet Regulations prohibit certain activities in relation to these chemicals either absolutely or subject to conditions. The Customs Regulations complement the Agvet Regulations by introducing controls at the border. Details on the activities and the relevant controls are given below.
A notice given under section 69C of the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 in the Commonwealth of Australia Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Gazette of 1 June 2004 indicated that new controls were being introduced.
Permissions
Each of the Regulations requires a person to lodge a written application for activities requiring permission, as indicated below. An application for permission under the Agvet Regulations must include information about the applicant and specific information on the activity. In certain circumstances additional information may be required (see notice in Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Gazette 1 June 2004) or further information sought to allow the application to be processed.
Applications for permission to import or export chemicals that are controlled under the Agvet Regulations or the Customs Regulations should be made using the online permit application system (please note that this is a secure system). Permits are generally faxed and posted to applicants.
Importation
Importation of chemicals controlled under the Stockholm Convention is prohibited, except with written permission in the following circumstances:
Agvet Regulations
- Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations
- for use as reference standards or of quantities to be used in laboratory-scale research.
No new importation controls have been introduced for chemicals that are only subject to the Rotterdam Convention, as such imports are already controlled under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992.
Manufacture and use
Manufacture and use are prohibited absolutely for chemicals that are subject to the Stockholm Convention.
No new manufacture or use controls have been introduced for chemicals that are subject to the Rotterdam Convention.
Exportation
Exportation of chemicals that are subject to the Stockholm Convention is prohibited, except with written permission in the following circumstances:
Agvet Regulations
- for environmentally sound disposal
- Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations
- for use as reference standards or of quantities to be used in laboratory-scale research.
Exportation of chemicals that are subject to the Rotterdam Convention requires written permission. Permission will be granted if the following requirements are met:
Agvet Regulations
- if the intended use of the export in the importing country is as a 'pesticide'
- the importing country is party to the Convention and the export meets the requirements of the importing party
- if the chemical is controlled under the Convention as a severely hazardous pesticide formulation and the formulation is a different formulation at a lower concentration or meets the requirments of the importing party
- if the chemical is the subject of notification of final regulatory action by Australia (asterix in the table below), additional information is provided by the applicant. This information will be provided to the importing country prior to the granting of permission to export, and
- the permission to export to a party to the Convention may require the exporter to fulfill certain conditions as specified in the permit.
Customs Regulations
- where the intended use of the chemical in the importing country is for non-pesticide use, or
- for use as reference standards or of quantities to be used in laboratory-scale research.
Chemicals to which these controls apply
For those chemicals that are subject to both the Stockholm the Rotterdam Conventions, the controls imposed are those under the Stockholm Convention as these are more stringent than those imposed under the Rotterdam Convention.
Note: HCH, lindane, methoxychlor and oxychlordane are also listed on Schedule 9 of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 – written permission is required for import. These chemicals are not controlled because of any obligation under any international agreement.
| Chemical name | CAS No. |
|---|---|
| Stockholm Convention | |
| aldrin (HHDN) | 309-00-2 |
| chlordane | 57-74-9 |
| DDT (pp’-DDT) | 50-29-3 |
| dieldrin (HEOD) | 60-57-1 |
| endrin | 72-20-8 |
| heptachlor | 76-44-8 |
| hexachlorobenzene (HCB) | 118-74-1 |
| toxaphene (camphechlor) | 8001-35-2 |
| mirex | 2385-85-5 |
| Rotterdam Convention | |
| 2,4,5-T | 93-76-5 |
| captafol | 2425-06-1 |
| chlordimeform | 6164-98-3 |
| chlorobenzilate | 510-15-6 |
| dinoseb and its salts | 88-85-7 |
| ethylene dibromide (EDB) | 106-93-4 |
| fluoroacetamide | 640-19-7 |
| HCH (mixed isomers) excludes gamma isomer – see lindane | 608-73-1 |
| lindane (g-BHC, g-HCH) | 58-89-9 |
| mercury compounds- see table below | |
| methamidophos | 10265-92-6 |
| methazole* | 20354-26-1 |
| methyl-parathion | 298-00-0 |
| monocrotophos* | 6923-22-4 |
| parathion (ethyl)* | 56-38-2 |
| pentachlorophenol | 87-86-5 |
| phosphamidon | 13171-21-6; 23783-98-4; 297-99-4 |
| tribufos* | 78-48-8 |
*Australian notification - Additional information requirements 
PDF [404kb]
Penalties
Under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 a person must not import, manufacture, use or export an active constituent for a proposed or existing chemical product or a chemical product in contravention of a condition or restriction prescribed by a regulation. A penalty of 300 penalty units may apply.
Other permissions
The granting of a permission under the Customs or Agvet Regulations does not replace any requirement for permission under any other legislation, including from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).Further information
- National Interest Analysis on Rotterdam Convention and Stockholm Convention
- For information on industrial chemicals controlled under the Rotterdam Convention, contact the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) on telephone 02 8577 8855 or email comply@NICNAS.gov.au
- List of Parties to the Rotterdam Convention
- List of Parties to the Stockholm Convention
- List of Rotterdam Convention Importing Party Requirements
Contact information
Applications for permission to import or export chemicals that are controlled under the Agvet Regulations or the Customs Regulations should be made using the online permit application system. Other enquries can be directed to:
Authorised Officer
Technical and International Policy - PIAPH
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
Fax: (02) 6272 5697
Email: Controlled Chemicals
Mercury compounds
| Chemical Name | CAS no |
|---|---|
| 2-(Acetoxymercuric)ethanol | 4665-55-8 |
| cyano(methylmercuric)guanidine | 502-39-6 |
| hydroxymercuri-o-nitrophenol | 17140-73-7 |
| mercuric acetate | 1600-27-7 |
| Mercuric chloride | 7487-94-7 |
| Mercuric oxide | 21908-53-2 |
| Mercurous chloride | 7546-30-7 |
| mercury | - |
| mercury naphthenate | 1336-96-5 |
| mercury oleate | 1191-80-6 |
| mercury pentanedione | 14024-55-6 |
| mercury phenate | 588-66-9 |
| methylmercury 2,3 dihydoxypropyl mercaptide | 2597-95-7 |
| methylmercury 8-quinolinolate | 86-85-1 |
| methylmercury acetate | 108-07-6 |
| methylmercury benzoate | 3626-13-9 |
| methylmercury hydroxide | 1184-57-2 |
| methylmercury nitrite | 2591-97-9 |
| methylmercury propionate | 5903-10-6 |
| N-(phenylmercuric urea | 2279-64-3 |
| phenylethylmercuric salicylate | 54-64-8 |
| phenylmercuric acetate | 62-38-4 |
| phenylmercuric ammonium acetate | 53404-67-4 |
| phenylmercuric ammonium propionate | 53404-68-5 |
| phenylmercuric borate | 102-98-7 |
| phenylmercuric carbonate | 53404-69-6 |
| phenylmercuric chloride | 100-56-1 |
| phenylmercuric dimethyldithiocarbamate | 32407-99-1 |
| phenylmercuric formamide | 22894-47-9 |
| phenylmercuric hydroxide | 100-57-2 |
| phenylmercuric lactate | 122-64-5 |
| phenylmercuric laurylmercaptide | - |
| phenylmercuric monoethanol ammonium acetate | 5822-97-9 |
| phenylmercuric monoethanol ammonium lactate | 53404-70-9 |
| phenylmercuric napthenate | 31632-68-5 |
| phenylmercuric nitrate | 55-68-5 |
| phenylmercuric oleate | 104-68-9 |
| phenylmercuric propionate | 103-27-5 |
| phenylmercuric salicylate | 28086-13-7 |
| phenylmercuric thiocyanate | 16751-55-6 |
| phenylmercuric threthanol ammonium lactate | 23319-66-6 |
| phenylmercuric-2-ethylhexonate | 13302-00-6 |
| phenylmercuric-8-quinolinate | 26114-17-0 |