Importing or exporting mercury

If you wish to export or import or in Australia for industrial use, read below. For non-industrial uses of mercury, please refer to the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

What is mercury?

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that causes significant harm to people, wildlife and the environment. The trade and use of mercury is subject to strict controls after Australia ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The Minamata Convention is an international treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

Mercury exporters (industrial use only)

Anyone seeking to export these for industrial use must apply and receive authorisation from us:

• elemental mercury Hg(0) with CAS number 7439-97-6

• mixtures of mercury (including alloys of mercury) with a mercury concentration of at least 95% by weight

Before you apply, you must check whether the country you are exporting to is a party, or not a party, to the Minamata Convention.

Apply to export mercury to a non-party to the Minamata Convention 

Apply to export mercury to a party to the Minamata Convention 

Mercury importers (industrial use only)

Anyone seeking to import these for industrial use must apply and receive authorisation from us, if they are importing from a country that is not a party to the Minamata Convention.

• elemental mercury Hg(0) with CAS number 7439-97-6

• mixtures of mercury (including alloys of mercury) with a mercury concentration of at least 95% by weight

Apply to import mercury from a non-party to the Minamata Convention 

Note: You do not need our approval to import mercury from a country that is a party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The exporting country's government must seek written consent from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Apply to import mercury from a non-party to the Minamata Convention

Complete the application form then submit in AICIS Business Services 

Download the application form

Apply to import mercury from a non-party to the Minamata Convention [PDF 246 KB]

You’ll need to provide the following information:

• If importing from a non-Party, you must provide certification from the exporting country that the mercury was not sourced from primary mercury mining or excess mercury from the decomissioning of chlor-alkali facilities. These requirements are set out in Article 3 paragraphs 3 and 5(b) of the Convention.
• You must supply a copy of the importing party’s written consent to import the mercury or mercury-containing chemical (upload with your application form)
• Your and the importer’s contact details, including an ABN (if applicable)
• AICIS registration number (if applicable)
• Common name and trade name of the mercury containing chemical
• The intended use of the mercury or mercury-containing chemical. Under the Minamata Convention, you can only import mercury into Australia for environmentally sound interim storage or an allowed use. In your application, you'll need to tell us if your purpose is interim storage or industrial use. 
  • If it's for interim storage, you'll need to describe the intended storage for the mercury, including the facility address and relevant controls
  • If it's for industrial use, you'll need to describe what the intended industrial use is
• Approximate date of importation
• Quantity to be imported
• Container size

Apply to export mercury to a non-party to the Minamata Convention

Complete the application form then submit in AICIS Business Services 

Download the application form

Apply to export mercury to a non-party to the Minamata Convention [PDF 242 KB]

You’ll need the following information:

• Upload with your application form a copy with your application form of the non-party’s written consent including certification demonstrating that:
  • The non-party has measures in place to ensure the protection of human health and the environment and to ensure its compliance with the provisions of Articles 10 and 11 of the Minamata Convention
  • Such mercury will be used only for a use allowed to a Party under this convention or for environmentally sound interim storage as set out in Article 10
• Your and the recipient (importer’s) contact details, including an ABN (if applicable)
• AICIS registration number (if applicable)
• Common name and trade name of the mercury containing chemical
• The intended use of the mercury-containing product. Under the Minamata Convention, you can only export mercury from Australia to another party for environmentally sound interim storage or an allowed use. In your application, you’ll need to tell us if your purpose is interim storage or industrial use. 
  • If it’s for interim storage, you’ll need to describe the intended storage for the mercury, including the facility address and relevant controls. 
  • If it’s for industrial use, you’ll need to describe what that intended industrial use is.
• Approximate date of exportation
• Quantity to be exported
• Container size

Apply to export mercury to a party to the Minamata Convention

Complete the application form then submit in AICIS Business Services 

Download the application form

Apply to export mercury to a party to the Minamata Convention [PDF 209 KB]

You’ll need the following information:

• Upload with your application form a copy of the importing party's written consent to import the mercury or mercury-containing chemical is required.
• Your and the recipient (importer’s) contact details, including an ABN (if applicable)
• AICIS registration number (if applicable)
• Common name and trade name of the mercury containing chemical
• The intended use of the mercury-containing product. Under the Minamata Convention, you can only export mercury from Australia to another party for environmentally sound interim storage or an allowed use. In your application, you’ll need to tell us if your purpose is interim storage or industrial use.
  • If it’s for interim storage, you’ll need to describe the intended storage for the mercury, including the facility address and relevant controls. 
  • If it’s for industrial use, you’ll need to describe what that intended industrial use is.
• Approximate date of exportation
• Quantity to be exported
• Container size

How to submit your application in AICIS Business Services

You will need Adobe Reader to fill in our form. We aim to provide accessible PDF content - contact us if you have trouble using our form with your screen reader.

Step 1: Sign in to the AICIS Business Services portal. If you don't have an account, you can sign up for free.
Step 2: In the 'Other applications' tile, select 'Create a new application'.
Step 3: Under 'Application type' select ' Minamata Convention - import or export' from the drop-down box.
Step 4: Upload your completed form and any supporting documents. Check the declaration box and then click 'submit application'.

Allow approximately 10 days for us to process your application. We will also liaise with DAWE as part of the review process.

Fees

There are no fees for any Minamata import or export applications.