Entity Identifier (AEI)

By entering the AEI, you do not have to check the offshore treatment provider lists on the department’s website to determine if the treatment provider is acceptable,  however you are still required to verify that details of the treatment certificate meet requirements. 

Profiles are created in the ICS for treatment providers that are not acceptable. Where an AEI is entered for an unacceptable treatment provider, the import declaration will be referred to the department.

If the consignment has a valid treatment certificate, entering the AEI may expedite the clearance of the goods. Not entering the relevant AEI may result in assessment by the department, potential non-compliance , an processing delays.

You are required to enter an AEI for all consignments accompanied by a:

• methyl bromide treatment certificate (AFAS and non-AFAS)
• BMSB treatment certificate
• gamma irradiation treatment certificate
• sulfuryl fluoride treatment certificate
• To report the cleaning and pre-inspection of used vehicles by recognised treatment providers.

A treatment certificate from a registered offshore treatment provider must include an AEI.

It uses a format of a two-character country code (ISO 3166-1-ALPHA2) followed by a four-digit company identification number. The scheme/treatment code is added to the end (e.g., AB 1234 SF).

The exception to this format is the generic AEI ‘SFTREAED’ that you must select in the ICS or third-party software to indicate sulfuryl fluoride treatments. See sulfuryl fluoride treatment certificates.

If the AEI is not included on the treatment certificate, this may indicate that the treatment provider is not registered under any of the department’s offshore treatment schemes or that the certificate is not genuine.

If you cannot locate the AEI on the treatment certificate:

• Identify the country of origin and name of the treatment provider that issued the certificate.
• Go to the relevant treatment scheme/provider list on the department’s website to find the treatment provider and their AEI.

For recognised offshore vehicle cleaning providers, the AEI may be located on the endorsed manifest or the offshore treatments of used vehicles – recognised providers webpage.

There are differences in how the AEI should be entered on the import declaration depending on the treatment type and scheme.

The links below provide specific information on how to enter AEI for:

• BMSB treatment certificates
• AFAS methyl bromide treatment certificates
• Non-AFAS methyl bromide treatment certificates
• Sulfuryl fluoride treatment certificates
• Treatment certificate, where the container is subject to khapra beetle measures
• Other offshore treatment schemes (gamma irradiation, ethylene oxide, used vehicles)

AEI quick reference guides

For a summary of how to correctly enter the AEI, refer to the AEI reference guide and task card below.

Download

Document	Pages	File size
AEI Quick Reference Guide PDF	1	141 KB
AEI Quick Reference Guide DOCX	1	62 KB
Task card: Entering an AEI into the ICS PDF	3	650 KB

Entering an AEI for non-commodity

Where non-commodity is treated offshore and is accompanied by a treatment certificate (excluding ISPM15 treatment), you must record the AEI against the first commodity line of the import declaration as required for individual treatments.

ISPM15

Acceptable ISPM15 packaging and dunnage does not require an AEI to be reported.

Assessment of the treatment certificate’s information is still required.

If you determine that the treatment certificate does not meet requirements:

• enter the AEI
• enter the BCOM concern type which will refer the consignment to the department for assessment
• lodge your documentation through COLS, ensuring you include a clear explanation of the issue

It is a condition of Class 19.1 and 19.2 approved arrangements that an AEI must be entered where a declaration relies on a treatment certificate assessment and an AEI has been assigned to the treatment provider. Not entering the AEI is considered non-compliance against these arrangements.

Amendment of the import declaration may be required in instances where the AEI for an acceptable treatment certificate should have been entered. This may result in clearance delays.

To enter an AEI for AFAS methyl bromide treatment certificates (commodity and non-commodity), you should:

1. Determine the AFAS identification number or AEI of the company that issued the certificate.
2. In the AEI field in the ICS or customs broker third party software, select the appropriate AEI or AEIs from the list provided ensuring that the company name in the second column matches the company name on the certificate.

All AFAS-registered treatment providers (acceptable and non-acceptable) are included in the AEI list in the ICS. An AEI is only required to be entered once for each consignment.

If the treatment certificate covers multiple commodities in the consignment

The AEI is only required to be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

If there are multiple treatment certificates for the consignment

All the AEIs can be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

Some customs broker third party software will allocate the selected AEI to all tariff lines. This is also acceptable.

Methyl bromide treatment certificates issued by treatment providers in non-AFAS countries will not have the AEI included on them.
To enter an AEI for non-AFAS methyl bromide treatment certificates (commodity and non-commodity), you should:

1. Identify the methyl bromide treatment provider that issued the certificate.
2. Refer to the offshore treatment providers and find the treatment provider ‘s name and respective AEI under the relevant country.
3. In the AEI field in the ICS or customs broker third-party software, search the AEI list by country code and company name to determine if the company has had an AEI allocated to it.
   • Where it has, select the AEI with the matching country code and company name.
   • Where it has not, select relevant AEI for all acceptable companies.

An AEI is only required to be entered once for each consignment.

If the treatment certificate covers multiple commodities in the consignment

The AEI is only required to be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

If there are multiple treatment certificates for the consignment

All the AEIs can be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

Some customs broker third-party software will allocate the selected AEI to all tariff lines. This is also acceptable.

The department has registered offshore BMSB treatment providers under the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme (the scheme) to conduct sulfuryl fluoride, methyl bromide or heat treatments to address the BMSB risk.

It is mandatory for BMSB treatment providers in target risk countries to be registered under the scheme. BMSB treatment providers in non-target risk countries (e.g. Singapore) can also register, but it is not mandatory.

Learn more about BMSB requirements.

AEI requirements for registered BMSB treatment providers

All BMSB treatment certificates issued by treatment providers registered under the scheme must include their AEI number.

If a consignment is accompanied by BMSB sulfuryl fluoride, methyl bromide or heat treatment certificate from a registered BMSB treatment provider, you are required to select the appropriate AEI code from the reference file in ICS or your third-party software, using the ‘Entering the AEI into the ICS’.

AEI requirements for non-registered BMSB treatment providers

BMSB treatments can be conducted by treatment providers that are not registered under the scheme if the treatment is not undertaken in a BMSB target risk country.

BMSB treatment certificates issued by non-registered treatment providers will not have an AEI number and brokers are not required to enter an AEI number in such cases.

Entering the AEI for BMSB treatment

Where the BMSB treatment certificate issued by a treatment provider registered under the scheme covers the whole consignment, the AEI is only required to be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

The only exception is for BMSB treatments of break bulk cargo, where the AEI needs to be entered against every line of target high risk goods.

For brokers operating under an AEPCOMM approved arrangement, the AEI should be entered in conjunction with the AEPCOMM code specified in the BICON.

In the AEI field in customs broker third party software or the ICS, select the appropriate AEI from the list provided ensuring that the company name in the second column matches the company name on the certificate.

All registered BMSB treatment providers (acceptable and non-acceptable) are included in the AEI list in the ICS.

Multiple AEIs can be recorded in the same location

There may be occasions where a consignment is accompanied by more than one treatment certificate – for example, one for a BMSB treatment and one for a commodity treatment. In these instances, you can enter the multiple AEIs against the first tariff line of the import declaration (except for break bulk cargo where the code needs to be entered against the corresponding lines).

There are three approved treatment types to manage the emerging risk of khapra beetle in sea containers. There treatments include:

• Methyl bromide
• Heat treatment
• Insecticide spray treatment

As these are urgent actions, the department will accept treatment certificates from both, registered and non-registered treatment providers; these will include existing AFAS and BMSB offshore treatment providers.

For assurance purposes you will be required to enter an AEI number for all treatment certificates accompanying containers subject to the khapra beetle measures, including those issued by both, registered and non-registered treatment providers.

Learn more about consignments subject to khapra beetle sea container measures.

AEI requirements for registered treatment providers

Where a khapra beetle methyl bromide or heat treatment is conducted by an approved offshore AFAS or BMSB provider, the certificate must include the AEI number. Refer to offshore treatment providers.

You are required to select the appropriate AEI code from the reference file in the ICS or your third-party software, using the task card ‘Entering the AEI into the ICS’.

AEI requirements for non-registered treatment providers

Treatment certificates issued by non-registered treatment providers will not have an AEI number. For treatments conducted by a non-registered provider you must:

1. Identify the country of origin, treatment type, and name of the treatment provider that issued the certificate.
2. Refer to the offshore treatment provides to verify if the treatment provider is acceptable or not acceptable; note the relevant AEI number.
3. In the AEI field, in the ICS or third-party software, search the AEI list by country code company name and treatment type to select it.
   • If the provider is unacceptable then choose the AEI assignment to it on the relevant treatment providers list.
   • If the provider is not listed select relevant AEI for all acceptable companies.

An AEI is only required to be entered once for each consignment, against the first line of the import declaration.

If the treatment certificate covers commodity and non-commodity or if there are multiple certificates for the consignment.

The AEI is only required to be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration. For example, this applies if:

• the treatment certificate covers the container risk (e.g., khapra beetle) and the commodity risk (e.g., timber) or
• there are different treatment certificates for the container risk (e.g., khapra beetle) and commodity risk (e.g., timber).

Note: treatment certificates covering container that been treated using heat or insecticide for khapra beetle must only have the container listed as the target of the treatment.

Some customs broker third party software will allocate the selected AEI to all tariff lines. This is also acceptable.

All containers that have been treated with sulfuryl fluoride must be reported to the department when lodging the import declaration by using the AEI as detailed below.

Non-BMSB consignments treated with sulfuryl fluoride

Only a generic AEI (SFTREATED) is required to be entered against the import declaration when sulfuryl fluoride has been used on the consignment.

The generic AEI is only required to be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

BMSB consignments treated with sulfuryl fluoride

For BMSB consignments treated with sulfuryl fluoride, you will need to enter both:

• the sulfuryl fluoride treatment provider’s AEI (found on the treatment certificate)
• the generic sulfuryl fluoride AEI – ‘SFTREATED’

It is important that the specific AEI for the treatment provider is reported in conjunction with the generic AEI to avoid unnecessary referrals of import declarations that are subject to high risk BMSB measures and have been treated offshore.

Irradiation

To enter an AEI for gamma irradiation treatment certificates, you should:

1. Determine the AEI of the company that issued the certificate.
2. In the AEI field in customs broker third party software or ICS, select the appropriate AEI or AEIs from the list provided ensuring that the company name in the second column matches the company name on the certificate.

All registered treatment providers (acceptable and non-acceptable) are included in the AEI list in the ICS.

An AEI is only required to be entered once for each consignment.

If the treatment certificate covers multiple commodities in the consignment

The AEI is only required to be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

If there are multiple treatment certificates for the consignment

All of the AEIs can be entered against the first tariff line of the import declaration.

Some customs broker third party software will allocate the selected AEI to all tariff lines. This is also acceptable.

Recognised Offshore Cleaning Provider Scheme for used vehicles

To enter an AEI to report the cleaning and pre-inspection of used vehicles by an offshore treatment facility recognised by the department, customs broker must:

1. Determine the AEI of the offshore facility, by referring to the list of recognised treatment providers of used vehicles, or the consignment manifest endorsed by the treatment provider.
2. In the AEI field in the ICS or customs broker third party software, select the appropriate AEI from the list provided. Refer to the Task card for guidance on how to enter an AEI into the ICS.

All treatment providers currently recognised by the department are included in the AEI list in the ICS.

The AEI must be entered for every vehicle in the consignment. Therefore, each vehicle in the consignment must be entered on a separate line of the import declaration and the associated AEI must be recorded against this line.

Important: Any one consignment may comprise of vehicles that have been cleaned by multiple facilities of the same treatment provider, in which case more than one AEI will apply. Brokers must ensure the correct AEI’s are entered so that the appropriate intervention rate is applied for each vehicle.

If you are having problems entering an AEI or require further assistance email:

For AFAS and non-AFAS treatments: AFAS

For BMSB treatments: BMSB treatments

For AEP-related enquiries: AEP Support