Ships heading for Australia, New Zealand and Chile and maybe Fiji need to be aware of the BMSB rules for 2025/26 season.
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season 2025/26 began on 1 September 2025. As usual, Australia and New Zealand authorities have set out their requirements for the current season to ensure that these bugs are kept out of their countries. BMSBs are a serious pest and pose a threat to the country’s agricultural industries and are frequently found in goods carried as sea-freight.
BMSB seasonal measures applies to targeted goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries, that have been shipped between 1 September and 30 April (inclusive), and to vessels that berth, load, or tranship from target risk countries within the same period. Hence the measures are imposed on a targeted list of risk-countries where these goods come from.
Note that the shipped on board date, as indicated on the Ocean Bill of Lading, is the date used to determine when goods have been shipped. “Gate in” dates and times will not be accepted to determine when goods are shipped.
The changes introduced for this season are as follows:
- Addition of Republic of Korea and Japan to the emerging risk countries list
- Target high risk goods arriving as airfreight from United States of America and China will be subject to random inspections
- Addition of a NEW offshore BMSB treatment option Ethyl Formate
- New application process for the BMSB In-Transit and Rolled policy.
For the current season 2025/26, both countries have now a total of 41 countries in the target risk country list with United Kingdom, China, Japan and Republic of Korea identified as emerging risk countries and may be selected for a random onshore inspection for goods shipped between 1 September to 30 April (inclusive).
For full details and information on the BMSB requirements and target list of BMSB-risk countries imposed by Australia and NZ as well as Chile and Fiji, please go to our member pages on Phytosanitary restrictions / Brown marmorated stink bug regulations
BIMCO Recommendations
Members operating ships heading for Australia, New Zealand and Chile and maybe Fiji should ensure that the above BMSB seasonal measures are complied with in order to avoid ships being turned away from their territorial waters, notwithstanding that the responsibility of ensuring the cargo is "clean" lies with the importers.