The Department of Agriculture manages 2 European Union (EU) export dairy tariff rate quotas, which were put in place after the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round (1994):
- EU Table Cheddar
- EU Cheese for processing.
The EU quotas are available on a first-come, first-served (FCFS) basis to Australian companies that wish to export dairy products to the EU.
Australian exporters can export specific quantities of the above products to the EU at reduced tariff rates through these quotas.
The quota year runs in line with the calendar year.
Key dates to remember
1 January—New quota year commences
31 December—Quota year ends
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Current quota usage
The quota usage report shows the total quantity of quota available and shipped by Australia for all dairy quotas.
Apply for an EU dairy quota certificate
To access the EU dairy quotas an exporter must apply for an IMA1 certificate (quota certificate). To do this, the exporter must lodge a request for permit (RFP) through EXDOC, the department’s electronic documentation system.
If an IMA1 certificate is required the following steps will need to be followed:
- When lodging the RFP make sure to tick the quota indicator box
- Once the box is ticked, select the correct quota year
- Refer to the Dairy quota codes when completing the ‘exportperfnbr’ box
- Make sure the correct additional certificate template code is selected
- IMA1 for product going to EU
- IMA1 UK for product going to UK
- Complete any additional fields required for the certificate template
When the RFP has reached ‘complete’ status in EXDOC, the application will be received by the Quota Unit for processing on the next business day. IMA1 certificates are issued by the department’s Melbourne office but require an approval number issued by the Quota Unit, which will be supplied to the Melbourne office after the application is approved.
Historical quota usage
These tables show how the EU dairy quotas have filled in previous years.
Legislation
The dairy quotas are governed by the Export Control (Tariff Rate Quotas) Order 2019. Exporters should be familiar with the order.
Data collection
The Quota Unit collects and manages the data presented on this website for commercial and government use. The data comes from the RFPs received by the department.
Contact us
For queries or assistance with the EU dairy quota application process, contact the Quota Unit:
Phone: 02 6272 4068
Email: quota.admin@awe.gov.au