Australia Introduces Fees for Shipping PIC Chemicals

MELBOURNE, Australia—Australia’s regulator of industrial chemicals beginning July 1 will impose a fee on companies importing or exporting chemicals that are covered by the Rotterdam Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. The list of hazardous chemicals classified under the Rotterdam Convention as triggering the PIC procedure includes ethylene oxide, mercury,and polychlorinated biphenyls. The industrial chemicals regulator, known as NICNAS, will charge A$1,700 ($1,608) to process an export notification or an annual authorization to import. It will charge A$750 ($709) for an annual authorization to export. NICNAS only regulates industrial chemicals, and the new fee arrangement only applies to PIC chemicals ...