{"id":"F2021L00331","name":"Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021","slug":"customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":101537,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2021L00331-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Preliminary","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\nThis instrument is the Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under section 126DA of the Customs Act 1901.\n\n#### 4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 4(1) of the Customs Act 1901, including the following:\n\n(a) customs broker\n\n(b) duty;\n\n(c) goods;\n\n(d) importer;\n\n(e) nominee;\n\n(f) self-assessed clearance declaration;\n\n(g) specified low value goods.\n\nIn this instrument:\n\nABN has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.\n\nAct means the Customs Act 1901.\n\nAPI means Application Programming Interface, which acts as an intermediary that enables software applications to communicate with a server to access data and functions.\n\nATT Portal means the Australian Trusted Trader Portal, which is the website operated by the Department to receive nominations by entities to join the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.\n\nAustralia Travel Declaration has the meaning given by section 4 of the Customs Regulation.\n\nClaim for the Return of Seized Goods web form means the website operated by the Department to process electronic applications for the return of seized goods.\n\nCollector has the meaning given by section 8 of the Act.\n\nCustoms Regulation means the Customs Regulation 2015.\n\nDepartment means the Department of Home Affairs.\n\nEDI means Electronic Data Interchange.\n\nEndpoint means a digital location where an Application Programming Interface (API) receives API calls, also known as API requests, for resources on its server.\n\nHome Affairs Access Manager means the website that is used to manage access and permissions for external organisations to Departmental systems at https://am.homeaffairs.gov.au.\n\nHTTPS means Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.\n\nICS means Integrated Cargo System.\n\nMQ means the secure message delivery platform known as IBM MQ.\n\nS/MIME means Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.\n\nSMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.\n\nSubdivision AA goods has the meaning given by section 71AAAA of the Act.\n\nUN/EDIFACT means the international standard, known as Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, administered by the United Nations.\n\n## Part 2—Information technology requirements for specified communications\n\n#### 6 Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person has personal property in goods:\n\n(i) to which section 68 of the Act applies; and\n\n(ii) that are intended to be entered for home consumption; and\n\n(iii) that are imported into Australia through the post; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(c) the communication is an import declaration under 71A of the Act for the goods, in an approved statement in accordance with section 71L of the Act.\n\n(2) The communication may be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 7 Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(b) the communication is an application under section 119AA or 119AB of the Act, in an approved statement, for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods in a particular way.\n\n(2) The communication must be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 8 Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a nomination to participate in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme under section 176B of the Act.\n\n(2) The nomination must be made using the website, known as the ATT Portal, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 8A Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to submit to the Department an Australia Travel Declaration in respect of the importation of the person’s Subdivision AA goods that includes the information specified in subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation about the goods; and\n\n(b) the person causes the completed Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department, including for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Act.\n\nNote 1: Subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation sets out the specified information that is sought for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Customs Act.\n\nNote 2: Section 71 of the Act empowers a Collector to decide whether to grant or refuse giving an authority to deal with goods.\n\nNote 3: Section 71AAAB of the Act empowers a Collector to, upon considering information that the Collector must have regard to, decide whether to authorise or refuse to authorise the delivery of Subdivision AA goods into home consumption.\n\n(2) The submission of an Australia Travel Declaration must be:\n\n(a) a message using HTTPS that is capable of being received by the departmental system that processes the Australia Travel Declaration; or\n\n(b) made using the web form known as the Australia Travel Declaration administered by the Department for that purpose.\n\n(3) The person causing an Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department under subsection (2) must sign the Australia Travel Declaration by inserting the person’s full name as text.\n\n#### 8B Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a claim for the return of goods seized under section 205B(2A) of the Act.\n  (2) The claim must be made using the web form, known as the Claim for the Return of Seized Goods web form, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 9 Signature\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person, including a person acting on behalf of an organisation, communicates electronically with the Department using an SMTP email; and\n\n(b) the person is required to provide the person’s signature; and\n\n(c) the communication contains:\n\n(i) an import declaration made under section 71A of the Act; or\n\n(ii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export made under section 119AA of the Act; or\n\n(iii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export made under section 119AB of the Act.\n\n(2) The person must place the person’s full name in the SMTP email.\n\n(3) If the communication is made on behalf of an organisation that has an ABN, the SMTP email must include the name and ABN of the organisation.\n\n## Part 2A–Information Technology Requirements for the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\n#### 9A Simplified Outline–Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot is a time-limited trial of novel information technology systems.\n\nPilot participants will lodge self-assessed clearance declarations through the Trade Portal. Pilot participants must register with the Home Affairs Access Manager and also be registered in the ICS. In order to use the Trade Portal and Home Affairs Access Manager, individuals communicating with the Department on behalf of pilot participants must authenticate their identity using myID and be linked to an ABN in RAM, in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\n#### 9B Interpretation\n\nIn this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\nABF Trade Portal means the interactive portal for online services available through the Department’s website at https://trade.abf.gov.au.\n\npilot participant is an importer, customs broker, nominee or other person or entity who has joined the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot.\n\nRAM means the Australian Taxation Office Relationship Authorisation Manager.\n\nSelf-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot means the pilot of electronic lodgement of self-assessed clearance declarations described in section 9A.\n\n#### 9C Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe information technology requirements in this Part apply if a pilot participant who is the owner of specified low value goods, or is acting on behalf of the owner of specified low value goods, wishes to communicate with the Department to lodge a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of section 71AAAF of the Act.\n\n#### 9D Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nA pilot participant communicating electronically with the Department for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) communicate via the ABF Trade Portal; and\n\n(b) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager and ICS.\n\n#### 9E Authentication to ABF Trade Portal\n\nA pilot participant using the ABF Trade Portal for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity inmyID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the pilot participant in RAM in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework is available on the Digital ID website https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/.\n\n## Part 3—Information technology requirements for general communications\n\n#### 10 Communications generally\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this Part apply to a person who:\n\n(a) is required or permitted to make a communication with the Department under:\n\n(i) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(ii) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(iii) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(iv) Part IX of the Act; and\n\n(b) wishes to communicate with the Department electronically.\n\n(2) However, the information technology requirements in this Part do not apply to a person who wishes to communicate electronically with the Department in the circumstances mentioned in Part 2.\n\n#### 11 General requirements for electronic communications\n\n(1) A person who communicates electronically with the Department must communicate by:\n\n(a) an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email to an email address specified by the Department; or\n\n(b) an EDI message delivered by MQ over an MQ channel preconfigured by agreement with the Department; or\n\n(c) the Cargo Interactive Facility using HTTPS to a Departmental website using a version of an internet browser that is supported by the Department for such transactions; or\n\n(d) an API to a nominated Departmental Endpoint.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subparagraphs 11(1)(a)-(c), a person who communicates electronically with the department must:\n\n(a) be registered in:\n\n(i) the Common Connect Facility; and\n\n(ii) the ICS; and\n\n(b) communicate with the Department using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy administered by the Digital Transformation Agency; and\n\n(c) configure the person’s email software with the appropriate digital certificate to be able to decrypt encrypted emails sent to the person by the Department.\n\nNote: The Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Digital Transformation Agency’s website (https://www.dta.gov.au).\n\n(3) For the purposes of subparagraph 11(1)(d), a person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API to a Departmental endpoint must:\n\n(a) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager; and\n\n(b) use an authenticated and authorised digital machine certificate linked to the organisation’s ABN.\n\n#### 12 Standards and specifications for EDI messages\n\nA person who communicates electronically with the Department by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must comply with the UN/EDIFACT D99B standards, in accordance with the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide, as in force at the commencement of this Determination and published on the Department’s website.\n\nNote: The ICS Message Implementations Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide could in 2021 be viewed on the Department’s website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au)\n\n#### 12A Standards and Specifications for APIs\n\n  A person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API must comply with the API specifications outlined in the API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n> Note: The Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website (https://homeaffairs.gov.au).\n\n#### 13 Information technology requirements for signature\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this section and section 15 apply to a person who is required to sign an electronic communication with the Department under:\n\n(a) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(b) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(c) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(d) Part IX of the Act.\n\n(2) A communication by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must be digitally signed and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n  (3) A communication by an API must be digitally authenticated with a machine credential that is registered in Home Affairs Access Manager in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® Strategy.\n\n#### 14 Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility\n\n(1) A person using the Cargo Interactive Facility must authenticate the communication using a digital certificate issued in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n(2) A communication using the Cargo Interactive Facility must be digitally authenticated and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n#### 14A Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager\n\nA person using Home Affairs Access Manager for the purposes of communicating with the Department via an API must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity in myID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the organisation in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework could in 2025 be viewed on the Digital ID website ([https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/](https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/)).\n\n#### 15 Digital signature and certificate\n\n(1) The person must use the digital signature and associated digital certificate appropriate to the nature of the communication.\n\n(2) Any digital certificate for the communication must be issued:\n\n(a) by a Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority; and\n\n(b) in accordance with a Gatekeeper® Certificate Policy and Certificate Practice Statement.\n\n(3) The Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority referred to in subsection (2) must be an Authority that has been approved by the Department for that purpose.\n\n## Part 4—Electronic production of documents\n\n#### 16 Information technology requirements for producing documents\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person is required to produce a document to the Department; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to produce the document electronically.\n\n(2) The document must be produced by sending an SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address attaching the document as a MIME attachment.\n\n(3) The attached document must be in a version of one of the following standard document formats supported by the Department:\n\n(a) Microsoft Word;\n\n(b) Microsoft Excel;\n\n(c) HTML;\n\n(d) PDF;\n\n(e) plain text;\n\n(f) JPEG.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\nThis instrument is the Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under section 126DA of the Customs Act 1901.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 4(1) of the Customs Act 1901, including the following:\n\n(a) customs broker\n\n(b) duty;\n\n(c) goods;\n\n(d) importer;\n\n(e) nominee;\n\n(f) self-assessed clearance declaration;\n\n(g) specified low value goods.\n\nIn this instrument:\n\nABN has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.\n\nAct means the Customs Act 1901.\n\nAPI means Application Programming Interface, which acts as an intermediary that enables software applications to communicate with a server to access data and functions.\n\nATT Portal means the Australian Trusted Trader Portal, which is the website operated by the Department to receive nominations by entities to join the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.\n\nAustralia Travel Declaration has the meaning given by section 4 of the Customs Regulation.\n\nClaim for the Return of Seized Goods web form means the website operated by the Department to process electronic applications for the return of seized goods.\n\nCollector has the meaning given by section 8 of the Act.\n\nCustoms Regulation means the Customs Regulation 2015.\n\nDepartment means the Department of Home Affairs.\n\nEDI means Electronic Data Interchange.\n\nEndpoint means a digital location where an Application Programming Interface (API) receives API calls, also known as API requests, for resources on its server.\n\nHome Affairs Access Manager means the website that is used to manage access and permissions for external organisations to Departmental systems at https://am.homeaffairs.gov.au.\n\nHTTPS means Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.\n\nICS means Integrated Cargo System.\n\nMQ means the secure message delivery platform known as IBM MQ.\n\nS/MIME means Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.\n\nSMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.\n\nSubdivision AA goods has the meaning given by section 71AAAA of the Act.\n\nUN/EDIFACT means the international standard, known as Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, administered by the United Nations.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Information technology requirements for specified communications","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\nThis instrument is the Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under section 126DA of the Customs Act 1901.\n\n#### 4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 4(1) of the Customs Act 1901, including the following:\n\n(a) customs broker\n\n(b) duty;\n\n(c) goods;\n\n(d) importer;\n\n(e) nominee;\n\n(f) self-assessed clearance declaration;\n\n(g) specified low value goods.\n\nIn this instrument:\n\nABN has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.\n\nAct means the Customs Act 1901.\n\nAPI means Application Programming Interface, which acts as an intermediary that enables software applications to communicate with a server to access data and functions.\n\nATT Portal means the Australian Trusted Trader Portal, which is the website operated by the Department to receive nominations by entities to join the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.\n\nAustralia Travel Declaration has the meaning given by section 4 of the Customs Regulation.\n\nClaim for the Return of Seized Goods web form means the website operated by the Department to process electronic applications for the return of seized goods.\n\nCollector has the meaning given by section 8 of the Act.\n\nCustoms Regulation means the Customs Regulation 2015.\n\nDepartment means the Department of Home Affairs.\n\nEDI means Electronic Data Interchange.\n\nEndpoint means a digital location where an Application Programming Interface (API) receives API calls, also known as API requests, for resources on its server.\n\nHome Affairs Access Manager means the website that is used to manage access and permissions for external organisations to Departmental systems at https://am.homeaffairs.gov.au.\n\nHTTPS means Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.\n\nICS means Integrated Cargo System.\n\nMQ means the secure message delivery platform known as IBM MQ.\n\nS/MIME means Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.\n\nSMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.\n\nSubdivision AA goods has the meaning given by section 71AAAA of the Act.\n\nUN/EDIFACT means the international standard, known as Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, administered by the United Nations.\n\n## Part 2—Information technology requirements for specified communications\n\n#### 6 Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person has personal property in goods:\n\n(i) to which section 68 of the Act applies; and\n\n(ii) that are intended to be entered for home consumption; and\n\n(iii) that are imported into Australia through the post; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(c) the communication is an import declaration under 71A of the Act for the goods, in an approved statement in accordance with section 71L of the Act.\n\n(2) The communication may be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 7 Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(b) the communication is an application under section 119AA or 119AB of the Act, in an approved statement, for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods in a particular way.\n\n(2) The communication must be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 8 Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a nomination to participate in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme under section 176B of the Act.\n\n(2) The nomination must be made using the website, known as the ATT Portal, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 8A Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to submit to the Department an Australia Travel Declaration in respect of the importation of the person’s Subdivision AA goods that includes the information specified in subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation about the goods; and\n\n(b) the person causes the completed Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department, including for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Act.\n\nNote 1: Subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation sets out the specified information that is sought for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Customs Act.\n\nNote 2: Section 71 of the Act empowers a Collector to decide whether to grant or refuse giving an authority to deal with goods.\n\nNote 3: Section 71AAAB of the Act empowers a Collector to, upon considering information that the Collector must have regard to, decide whether to authorise or refuse to authorise the delivery of Subdivision AA goods into home consumption.\n\n(2) The submission of an Australia Travel Declaration must be:\n\n(a) a message using HTTPS that is capable of being received by the departmental system that processes the Australia Travel Declaration; or\n\n(b) made using the web form known as the Australia Travel Declaration administered by the Department for that purpose.\n\n(3) The person causing an Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department under subsection (2) must sign the Australia Travel Declaration by inserting the person’s full name as text.\n\n#### 8B Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a claim for the return of goods seized under section 205B(2A) of the Act.\n  (2) The claim must be made using the web form, known as the Claim for the Return of Seized Goods web form, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 9 Signature\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person, including a person acting on behalf of an organisation, communicates electronically with the Department using an SMTP email; and\n\n(b) the person is required to provide the person’s signature; and\n\n(c) the communication contains:\n\n(i) an import declaration made under section 71A of the Act; or\n\n(ii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export made under section 119AA of the Act; or\n\n(iii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export made under section 119AB of the Act.\n\n(2) The person must place the person’s full name in the SMTP email.\n\n(3) If the communication is made on behalf of an organisation that has an ABN, the SMTP email must include the name and ABN of the organisation.\n\n## Part 2A–Information Technology Requirements for the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\n#### 9A Simplified Outline–Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot is a time-limited trial of novel information technology systems.\n\nPilot participants will lodge self-assessed clearance declarations through the Trade Portal. Pilot participants must register with the Home Affairs Access Manager and also be registered in the ICS. In order to use the Trade Portal and Home Affairs Access Manager, individuals communicating with the Department on behalf of pilot participants must authenticate their identity using myID and be linked to an ABN in RAM, in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\n#### 9B Interpretation\n\nIn this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\nABF Trade Portal means the interactive portal for online services available through the Department’s website at https://trade.abf.gov.au.\n\npilot participant is an importer, customs broker, nominee or other person or entity who has joined the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot.\n\nRAM means the Australian Taxation Office Relationship Authorisation Manager.\n\nSelf-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot means the pilot of electronic lodgement of self-assessed clearance declarations described in section 9A.\n\n#### 9C Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe information technology requirements in this Part apply if a pilot participant who is the owner of specified low value goods, or is acting on behalf of the owner of specified low value goods, wishes to communicate with the Department to lodge a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of section 71AAAF of the Act.\n\n#### 9D Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nA pilot participant communicating electronically with the Department for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) communicate via the ABF Trade Portal; and\n\n(b) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager and ICS.\n\n#### 9E Authentication to ABF Trade Portal\n\nA pilot participant using the ABF Trade Portal for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity inmyID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the pilot participant in RAM in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework is available on the Digital ID website https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/.\n\n## Part 3—Information technology requirements for general communications\n\n#### 10 Communications generally\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this Part apply to a person who:\n\n(a) is required or permitted to make a communication with the Department under:\n\n(i) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(ii) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(iii) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(iv) Part IX of the Act; and\n\n(b) wishes to communicate with the Department electronically.\n\n(2) However, the information technology requirements in this Part do not apply to a person who wishes to communicate electronically with the Department in the circumstances mentioned in Part 2.\n\n#### 11 General requirements for electronic communications\n\n(1) A person who communicates electronically with the Department must communicate by:\n\n(a) an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email to an email address specified by the Department; or\n\n(b) an EDI message delivered by MQ over an MQ channel preconfigured by agreement with the Department; or\n\n(c) the Cargo Interactive Facility using HTTPS to a Departmental website using a version of an internet browser that is supported by the Department for such transactions; or\n\n(d) an API to a nominated Departmental Endpoint.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subparagraphs 11(1)(a)-(c), a person who communicates electronically with the department must:\n\n(a) be registered in:\n\n(i) the Common Connect Facility; and\n\n(ii) the ICS; and\n\n(b) communicate with the Department using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy administered by the Digital Transformation Agency; and\n\n(c) configure the person’s email software with the appropriate digital certificate to be able to decrypt encrypted emails sent to the person by the Department.\n\nNote: The Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Digital Transformation Agency’s website (https://www.dta.gov.au).\n\n(3) For the purposes of subparagraph 11(1)(d), a person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API to a Departmental endpoint must:\n\n(a) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager; and\n\n(b) use an authenticated and authorised digital machine certificate linked to the organisation’s ABN.\n\n#### 12 Standards and specifications for EDI messages\n\nA person who communicates electronically with the Department by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must comply with the UN/EDIFACT D99B standards, in accordance with the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide, as in force at the commencement of this Determination and published on the Department’s website.\n\nNote: The ICS Message Implementations Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide could in 2021 be viewed on the Department’s website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au)\n\n#### 12A Standards and Specifications for APIs\n\n  A person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API must comply with the API specifications outlined in the API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n> Note: The Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website (https://homeaffairs.gov.au).\n\n#### 13 Information technology requirements for signature\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this section and section 15 apply to a person who is required to sign an electronic communication with the Department under:\n\n(a) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(b) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(c) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(d) Part IX of the Act.\n\n(2) A communication by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must be digitally signed and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n  (3) A communication by an API must be digitally authenticated with a machine credential that is registered in Home Affairs Access Manager in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® Strategy.\n\n#### 14 Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility\n\n(1) A person using the Cargo Interactive Facility must authenticate the communication using a digital certificate issued in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n(2) A communication using the Cargo Interactive Facility must be digitally authenticated and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n#### 14A Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager\n\nA person using Home Affairs Access Manager for the purposes of communicating with the Department via an API must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity in myID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the organisation in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework could in 2025 be viewed on the Digital ID website ([https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/](https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/)).\n\n#### 15 Digital signature and certificate\n\n(1) The person must use the digital signature and associated digital certificate appropriate to the nature of the communication.\n\n(2) Any digital certificate for the communication must be issued:\n\n(a) by a Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority; and\n\n(b) in accordance with a Gatekeeper® Certificate Policy and Certificate Practice Statement.\n\n(3) The Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority referred to in subsection (2) must be an Authority that has been approved by the Department for that purpose.\n\n## Part 4—Electronic production of documents\n\n#### 16 Information technology requirements for producing documents\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person is required to produce a document to the Department; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to produce the document electronically.\n\n(2) The document must be produced by sending an SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address attaching the document as a MIME attachment.\n\n(3) The attached document must be in a version of one of the following standard document formats supported by the Department:\n\n(a) Microsoft Word;\n\n(b) Microsoft Excel;\n\n(c) HTML;\n\n(d) PDF;\n\n(e) plain text;\n\n(f) JPEG.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post","content":"#### 6 Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person has personal property in goods:\n\n(i) to which section 68 of the Act applies; and\n\n(ii) that are intended to be entered for home consumption; and\n\n(iii) that are imported into Australia through the post; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(c) the communication is an import declaration under 71A of the Act for the goods, in an approved statement in accordance with section 71L of the Act.\n\n(2) The communication may be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods","content":"#### 7 Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(b) the communication is an application under section 119AA or 119AB of the Act, in an approved statement, for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods in a particular way.\n\n(2) The communication must be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme","content":"#### 8 Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a nomination to participate in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme under section 176B of the Act.\n\n(2) The nomination must be made using the website, known as the ATT Portal, administered by the Department.","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"8A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration","content":"#### 8A Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to submit to the Department an Australia Travel Declaration in respect of the importation of the person’s Subdivision AA goods that includes the information specified in subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation about the goods; and\n\n(b) the person causes the completed Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department, including for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Act.\n\nNote 1: Subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation sets out the specified information that is sought for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Customs Act.\n\nNote 2: Section 71 of the Act empowers a Collector to decide whether to grant or refuse giving an authority to deal with goods.\n\nNote 3: Section 71AAAB of the Act empowers a Collector to, upon considering information that the Collector must have regard to, decide whether to authorise or refuse to authorise the delivery of Subdivision AA goods into home consumption.\n\n(2) The submission of an Australia Travel Declaration must be:\n\n(a) a message using HTTPS that is capable of being received by the departmental system that processes the Australia Travel Declaration; or\n\n(b) made using the web form known as the Australia Travel Declaration administered by the Department for that purpose.\n\n(3) The person causing an Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department under subsection (2) must sign the Australia Travel Declaration by inserting the person’s full name as text.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"8B","sectionType":"section","heading":"Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act","content":"#### 8B Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a claim for the return of goods seized under section 205B(2A) of the Act.\n  (2) The claim must be made using the web form, known as the Claim for the Return of Seized Goods web form, administered by the Department.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Signature","content":"#### 9 Signature\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person, including a person acting on behalf of an organisation, communicates electronically with the Department using an SMTP email; and\n\n(b) the person is required to provide the person’s signature; and\n\n(c) the communication contains:\n\n(i) an import declaration made under section 71A of the Act; or\n\n(ii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export made under section 119AA of the Act; or\n\n(iii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export made under section 119AB of the Act.\n\n(2) The person must place the person’s full name in the SMTP email.\n\n(3) If the communication is made on behalf of an organisation that has an ABN, the SMTP email must include the name and ABN of the organisation.","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2A","sectionType":"part","heading":"Information Technology Requirements for the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\nThis instrument is the Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under section 126DA of the Customs Act 1901.\n\n#### 4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 4(1) of the Customs Act 1901, including the following:\n\n(a) customs broker\n\n(b) duty;\n\n(c) goods;\n\n(d) importer;\n\n(e) nominee;\n\n(f) self-assessed clearance declaration;\n\n(g) specified low value goods.\n\nIn this instrument:\n\nABN has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.\n\nAct means the Customs Act 1901.\n\nAPI means Application Programming Interface, which acts as an intermediary that enables software applications to communicate with a server to access data and functions.\n\nATT Portal means the Australian Trusted Trader Portal, which is the website operated by the Department to receive nominations by entities to join the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.\n\nAustralia Travel Declaration has the meaning given by section 4 of the Customs Regulation.\n\nClaim for the Return of Seized Goods web form means the website operated by the Department to process electronic applications for the return of seized goods.\n\nCollector has the meaning given by section 8 of the Act.\n\nCustoms Regulation means the Customs Regulation 2015.\n\nDepartment means the Department of Home Affairs.\n\nEDI means Electronic Data Interchange.\n\nEndpoint means a digital location where an Application Programming Interface (API) receives API calls, also known as API requests, for resources on its server.\n\nHome Affairs Access Manager means the website that is used to manage access and permissions for external organisations to Departmental systems at https://am.homeaffairs.gov.au.\n\nHTTPS means Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.\n\nICS means Integrated Cargo System.\n\nMQ means the secure message delivery platform known as IBM MQ.\n\nS/MIME means Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.\n\nSMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.\n\nSubdivision AA goods has the meaning given by section 71AAAA of the Act.\n\nUN/EDIFACT means the international standard, known as Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, administered by the United Nations.\n\n## Part 2—Information technology requirements for specified communications\n\n#### 6 Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person has personal property in goods:\n\n(i) to which section 68 of the Act applies; and\n\n(ii) that are intended to be entered for home consumption; and\n\n(iii) that are imported into Australia through the post; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(c) the communication is an import declaration under 71A of the Act for the goods, in an approved statement in accordance with section 71L of the Act.\n\n(2) The communication may be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 7 Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(b) the communication is an application under section 119AA or 119AB of the Act, in an approved statement, for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods in a particular way.\n\n(2) The communication must be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 8 Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a nomination to participate in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme under section 176B of the Act.\n\n(2) The nomination must be made using the website, known as the ATT Portal, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 8A Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to submit to the Department an Australia Travel Declaration in respect of the importation of the person’s Subdivision AA goods that includes the information specified in subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation about the goods; and\n\n(b) the person causes the completed Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department, including for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Act.\n\nNote 1: Subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation sets out the specified information that is sought for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Customs Act.\n\nNote 2: Section 71 of the Act empowers a Collector to decide whether to grant or refuse giving an authority to deal with goods.\n\nNote 3: Section 71AAAB of the Act empowers a Collector to, upon considering information that the Collector must have regard to, decide whether to authorise or refuse to authorise the delivery of Subdivision AA goods into home consumption.\n\n(2) The submission of an Australia Travel Declaration must be:\n\n(a) a message using HTTPS that is capable of being received by the departmental system that processes the Australia Travel Declaration; or\n\n(b) made using the web form known as the Australia Travel Declaration administered by the Department for that purpose.\n\n(3) The person causing an Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department under subsection (2) must sign the Australia Travel Declaration by inserting the person’s full name as text.\n\n#### 8B Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a claim for the return of goods seized under section 205B(2A) of the Act.\n  (2) The claim must be made using the web form, known as the Claim for the Return of Seized Goods web form, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 9 Signature\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person, including a person acting on behalf of an organisation, communicates electronically with the Department using an SMTP email; and\n\n(b) the person is required to provide the person’s signature; and\n\n(c) the communication contains:\n\n(i) an import declaration made under section 71A of the Act; or\n\n(ii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export made under section 119AA of the Act; or\n\n(iii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export made under section 119AB of the Act.\n\n(2) The person must place the person’s full name in the SMTP email.\n\n(3) If the communication is made on behalf of an organisation that has an ABN, the SMTP email must include the name and ABN of the organisation.\n\n## Part 2A–Information Technology Requirements for the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\n#### 9A Simplified Outline–Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot is a time-limited trial of novel information technology systems.\n\nPilot participants will lodge self-assessed clearance declarations through the Trade Portal. Pilot participants must register with the Home Affairs Access Manager and also be registered in the ICS. In order to use the Trade Portal and Home Affairs Access Manager, individuals communicating with the Department on behalf of pilot participants must authenticate their identity using myID and be linked to an ABN in RAM, in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\n#### 9B Interpretation\n\nIn this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\nABF Trade Portal means the interactive portal for online services available through the Department’s website at https://trade.abf.gov.au.\n\npilot participant is an importer, customs broker, nominee or other person or entity who has joined the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot.\n\nRAM means the Australian Taxation Office Relationship Authorisation Manager.\n\nSelf-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot means the pilot of electronic lodgement of self-assessed clearance declarations described in section 9A.\n\n#### 9C Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe information technology requirements in this Part apply if a pilot participant who is the owner of specified low value goods, or is acting on behalf of the owner of specified low value goods, wishes to communicate with the Department to lodge a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of section 71AAAF of the Act.\n\n#### 9D Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nA pilot participant communicating electronically with the Department for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) communicate via the ABF Trade Portal; and\n\n(b) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager and ICS.\n\n#### 9E Authentication to ABF Trade Portal\n\nA pilot participant using the ABF Trade Portal for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity inmyID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the pilot participant in RAM in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework is available on the Digital ID website https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/.\n\n## Part 3—Information technology requirements for general communications\n\n#### 10 Communications generally\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this Part apply to a person who:\n\n(a) is required or permitted to make a communication with the Department under:\n\n(i) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(ii) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(iii) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(iv) Part IX of the Act; and\n\n(b) wishes to communicate with the Department electronically.\n\n(2) However, the information technology requirements in this Part do not apply to a person who wishes to communicate electronically with the Department in the circumstances mentioned in Part 2.\n\n#### 11 General requirements for electronic communications\n\n(1) A person who communicates electronically with the Department must communicate by:\n\n(a) an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email to an email address specified by the Department; or\n\n(b) an EDI message delivered by MQ over an MQ channel preconfigured by agreement with the Department; or\n\n(c) the Cargo Interactive Facility using HTTPS to a Departmental website using a version of an internet browser that is supported by the Department for such transactions; or\n\n(d) an API to a nominated Departmental Endpoint.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subparagraphs 11(1)(a)-(c), a person who communicates electronically with the department must:\n\n(a) be registered in:\n\n(i) the Common Connect Facility; and\n\n(ii) the ICS; and\n\n(b) communicate with the Department using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy administered by the Digital Transformation Agency; and\n\n(c) configure the person’s email software with the appropriate digital certificate to be able to decrypt encrypted emails sent to the person by the Department.\n\nNote: The Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Digital Transformation Agency’s website (https://www.dta.gov.au).\n\n(3) For the purposes of subparagraph 11(1)(d), a person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API to a Departmental endpoint must:\n\n(a) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager; and\n\n(b) use an authenticated and authorised digital machine certificate linked to the organisation’s ABN.\n\n#### 12 Standards and specifications for EDI messages\n\nA person who communicates electronically with the Department by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must comply with the UN/EDIFACT D99B standards, in accordance with the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide, as in force at the commencement of this Determination and published on the Department’s website.\n\nNote: The ICS Message Implementations Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide could in 2021 be viewed on the Department’s website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au)\n\n#### 12A Standards and Specifications for APIs\n\n  A person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API must comply with the API specifications outlined in the API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n> Note: The Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website (https://homeaffairs.gov.au).\n\n#### 13 Information technology requirements for signature\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this section and section 15 apply to a person who is required to sign an electronic communication with the Department under:\n\n(a) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(b) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(c) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(d) Part IX of the Act.\n\n(2) A communication by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must be digitally signed and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n  (3) A communication by an API must be digitally authenticated with a machine credential that is registered in Home Affairs Access Manager in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® Strategy.\n\n#### 14 Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility\n\n(1) A person using the Cargo Interactive Facility must authenticate the communication using a digital certificate issued in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n(2) A communication using the Cargo Interactive Facility must be digitally authenticated and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n#### 14A Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager\n\nA person using Home Affairs Access Manager for the purposes of communicating with the Department via an API must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity in myID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the organisation in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework could in 2025 be viewed on the Digital ID website ([https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/](https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/)).\n\n#### 15 Digital signature and certificate\n\n(1) The person must use the digital signature and associated digital certificate appropriate to the nature of the communication.\n\n(2) Any digital certificate for the communication must be issued:\n\n(a) by a Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority; and\n\n(b) in accordance with a Gatekeeper® Certificate Policy and Certificate Practice Statement.\n\n(3) The Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority referred to in subsection (2) must be an Authority that has been approved by the Department for that purpose.\n\n## Part 4—Electronic production of documents\n\n#### 16 Information technology requirements for producing documents\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person is required to produce a document to the Department; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to produce the document electronically.\n\n(2) The document must be produced by sending an SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address attaching the document as a MIME attachment.\n\n(3) The attached document must be in a version of one of the following standard document formats supported by the Department:\n\n(a) Microsoft Word;\n\n(b) Microsoft Excel;\n\n(c) HTML;\n\n(d) PDF;\n\n(e) plain text;\n\n(f) JPEG.","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"9A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Simplified Outline—Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot","content":"#### 9A Simplified Outline–Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot is a time-limited trial of novel information technology systems.\n\nPilot participants will lodge self-assessed clearance declarations through the Trade Portal. Pilot participants must register with the Home Affairs Access Manager and also be registered in the ICS. In order to use the Trade Portal and Home Affairs Access Manager, individuals communicating with the Department on behalf of pilot participants must authenticate their identity using myID and be linked to an ABN in RAM, in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.","sortOrder":12},{"sectionNumber":"9B","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation","content":"#### 9B Interpretation\n\nIn this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\nABF Trade Portal means the interactive portal for online services available through the Department’s website at https://trade.abf.gov.au.\n\npilot participant is an importer, customs broker, nominee or other person or entity who has joined the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot.\n\nRAM means the Australian Taxation Office Relationship Authorisation Manager.\n\nSelf-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot means the pilot of electronic lodgement of self-assessed clearance declarations described in section 9A.","sortOrder":13},{"sectionNumber":"9C","sectionType":"section","heading":"Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot","content":"#### 9C Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe information technology requirements in this Part apply if a pilot participant who is the owner of specified low value goods, or is acting on behalf of the owner of specified low value goods, wishes to communicate with the Department to lodge a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of section 71AAAF of the Act.","sortOrder":14},{"sectionNumber":"9D","sectionType":"section","heading":"Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot","content":"#### 9D Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nA pilot participant communicating electronically with the Department for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) communicate via the ABF Trade Portal; and\n\n(b) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager and ICS.","sortOrder":15},{"sectionNumber":"9E","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authentication to ABF Trade Portal","content":"#### 9E Authentication to ABF Trade Portal\n\nA pilot participant using the ABF Trade Portal for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity inmyID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the pilot participant in RAM in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework is available on the Digital ID website https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/.","sortOrder":16},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"Information technology requirements for general communications","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\nThis instrument is the Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under section 126DA of the Customs Act 1901.\n\n#### 4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 4(1) of the Customs Act 1901, including the following:\n\n(a) customs broker\n\n(b) duty;\n\n(c) goods;\n\n(d) importer;\n\n(e) nominee;\n\n(f) self-assessed clearance declaration;\n\n(g) specified low value goods.\n\nIn this instrument:\n\nABN has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.\n\nAct means the Customs Act 1901.\n\nAPI means Application Programming Interface, which acts as an intermediary that enables software applications to communicate with a server to access data and functions.\n\nATT Portal means the Australian Trusted Trader Portal, which is the website operated by the Department to receive nominations by entities to join the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.\n\nAustralia Travel Declaration has the meaning given by section 4 of the Customs Regulation.\n\nClaim for the Return of Seized Goods web form means the website operated by the Department to process electronic applications for the return of seized goods.\n\nCollector has the meaning given by section 8 of the Act.\n\nCustoms Regulation means the Customs Regulation 2015.\n\nDepartment means the Department of Home Affairs.\n\nEDI means Electronic Data Interchange.\n\nEndpoint means a digital location where an Application Programming Interface (API) receives API calls, also known as API requests, for resources on its server.\n\nHome Affairs Access Manager means the website that is used to manage access and permissions for external organisations to Departmental systems at https://am.homeaffairs.gov.au.\n\nHTTPS means Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.\n\nICS means Integrated Cargo System.\n\nMQ means the secure message delivery platform known as IBM MQ.\n\nS/MIME means Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.\n\nSMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.\n\nSubdivision AA goods has the meaning given by section 71AAAA of the Act.\n\nUN/EDIFACT means the international standard, known as Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, administered by the United Nations.\n\n## Part 2—Information technology requirements for specified communications\n\n#### 6 Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person has personal property in goods:\n\n(i) to which section 68 of the Act applies; and\n\n(ii) that are intended to be entered for home consumption; and\n\n(iii) that are imported into Australia through the post; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(c) the communication is an import declaration under 71A of the Act for the goods, in an approved statement in accordance with section 71L of the Act.\n\n(2) The communication may be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 7 Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(b) the communication is an application under section 119AA or 119AB of the Act, in an approved statement, for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods in a particular way.\n\n(2) The communication must be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 8 Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a nomination to participate in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme under section 176B of the Act.\n\n(2) The nomination must be made using the website, known as the ATT Portal, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 8A Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to submit to the Department an Australia Travel Declaration in respect of the importation of the person’s Subdivision AA goods that includes the information specified in subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation about the goods; and\n\n(b) the person causes the completed Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department, including for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Act.\n\nNote 1: Subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation sets out the specified information that is sought for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Customs Act.\n\nNote 2: Section 71 of the Act empowers a Collector to decide whether to grant or refuse giving an authority to deal with goods.\n\nNote 3: Section 71AAAB of the Act empowers a Collector to, upon considering information that the Collector must have regard to, decide whether to authorise or refuse to authorise the delivery of Subdivision AA goods into home consumption.\n\n(2) The submission of an Australia Travel Declaration must be:\n\n(a) a message using HTTPS that is capable of being received by the departmental system that processes the Australia Travel Declaration; or\n\n(b) made using the web form known as the Australia Travel Declaration administered by the Department for that purpose.\n\n(3) The person causing an Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department under subsection (2) must sign the Australia Travel Declaration by inserting the person’s full name as text.\n\n#### 8B Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a claim for the return of goods seized under section 205B(2A) of the Act.\n  (2) The claim must be made using the web form, known as the Claim for the Return of Seized Goods web form, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 9 Signature\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person, including a person acting on behalf of an organisation, communicates electronically with the Department using an SMTP email; and\n\n(b) the person is required to provide the person’s signature; and\n\n(c) the communication contains:\n\n(i) an import declaration made under section 71A of the Act; or\n\n(ii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export made under section 119AA of the Act; or\n\n(iii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export made under section 119AB of the Act.\n\n(2) The person must place the person’s full name in the SMTP email.\n\n(3) If the communication is made on behalf of an organisation that has an ABN, the SMTP email must include the name and ABN of the organisation.\n\n## Part 2A–Information Technology Requirements for the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\n#### 9A Simplified Outline–Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot is a time-limited trial of novel information technology systems.\n\nPilot participants will lodge self-assessed clearance declarations through the Trade Portal. Pilot participants must register with the Home Affairs Access Manager and also be registered in the ICS. In order to use the Trade Portal and Home Affairs Access Manager, individuals communicating with the Department on behalf of pilot participants must authenticate their identity using myID and be linked to an ABN in RAM, in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\n#### 9B Interpretation\n\nIn this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\nABF Trade Portal means the interactive portal for online services available through the Department’s website at https://trade.abf.gov.au.\n\npilot participant is an importer, customs broker, nominee or other person or entity who has joined the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot.\n\nRAM means the Australian Taxation Office Relationship Authorisation Manager.\n\nSelf-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot means the pilot of electronic lodgement of self-assessed clearance declarations described in section 9A.\n\n#### 9C Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe information technology requirements in this Part apply if a pilot participant who is the owner of specified low value goods, or is acting on behalf of the owner of specified low value goods, wishes to communicate with the Department to lodge a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of section 71AAAF of the Act.\n\n#### 9D Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nA pilot participant communicating electronically with the Department for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) communicate via the ABF Trade Portal; and\n\n(b) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager and ICS.\n\n#### 9E Authentication to ABF Trade Portal\n\nA pilot participant using the ABF Trade Portal for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity inmyID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the pilot participant in RAM in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework is available on the Digital ID website https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/.\n\n## Part 3—Information technology requirements for general communications\n\n#### 10 Communications generally\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this Part apply to a person who:\n\n(a) is required or permitted to make a communication with the Department under:\n\n(i) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(ii) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(iii) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(iv) Part IX of the Act; and\n\n(b) wishes to communicate with the Department electronically.\n\n(2) However, the information technology requirements in this Part do not apply to a person who wishes to communicate electronically with the Department in the circumstances mentioned in Part 2.\n\n#### 11 General requirements for electronic communications\n\n(1) A person who communicates electronically with the Department must communicate by:\n\n(a) an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email to an email address specified by the Department; or\n\n(b) an EDI message delivered by MQ over an MQ channel preconfigured by agreement with the Department; or\n\n(c) the Cargo Interactive Facility using HTTPS to a Departmental website using a version of an internet browser that is supported by the Department for such transactions; or\n\n(d) an API to a nominated Departmental Endpoint.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subparagraphs 11(1)(a)-(c), a person who communicates electronically with the department must:\n\n(a) be registered in:\n\n(i) the Common Connect Facility; and\n\n(ii) the ICS; and\n\n(b) communicate with the Department using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy administered by the Digital Transformation Agency; and\n\n(c) configure the person’s email software with the appropriate digital certificate to be able to decrypt encrypted emails sent to the person by the Department.\n\nNote: The Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Digital Transformation Agency’s website (https://www.dta.gov.au).\n\n(3) For the purposes of subparagraph 11(1)(d), a person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API to a Departmental endpoint must:\n\n(a) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager; and\n\n(b) use an authenticated and authorised digital machine certificate linked to the organisation’s ABN.\n\n#### 12 Standards and specifications for EDI messages\n\nA person who communicates electronically with the Department by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must comply with the UN/EDIFACT D99B standards, in accordance with the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide, as in force at the commencement of this Determination and published on the Department’s website.\n\nNote: The ICS Message Implementations Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide could in 2021 be viewed on the Department’s website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au)\n\n#### 12A Standards and Specifications for APIs\n\n  A person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API must comply with the API specifications outlined in the API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n> Note: The Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website (https://homeaffairs.gov.au).\n\n#### 13 Information technology requirements for signature\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this section and section 15 apply to a person who is required to sign an electronic communication with the Department under:\n\n(a) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(b) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(c) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(d) Part IX of the Act.\n\n(2) A communication by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must be digitally signed and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n  (3) A communication by an API must be digitally authenticated with a machine credential that is registered in Home Affairs Access Manager in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® Strategy.\n\n#### 14 Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility\n\n(1) A person using the Cargo Interactive Facility must authenticate the communication using a digital certificate issued in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n(2) A communication using the Cargo Interactive Facility must be digitally authenticated and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n#### 14A Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager\n\nA person using Home Affairs Access Manager for the purposes of communicating with the Department via an API must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity in myID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the organisation in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework could in 2025 be viewed on the Digital ID website ([https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/](https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/)).\n\n#### 15 Digital signature and certificate\n\n(1) The person must use the digital signature and associated digital certificate appropriate to the nature of the communication.\n\n(2) Any digital certificate for the communication must be issued:\n\n(a) by a Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority; and\n\n(b) in accordance with a Gatekeeper® Certificate Policy and Certificate Practice Statement.\n\n(3) The Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority referred to in subsection (2) must be an Authority that has been approved by the Department for that purpose.\n\n## Part 4—Electronic production of documents\n\n#### 16 Information technology requirements for producing documents\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person is required to produce a document to the Department; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to produce the document electronically.\n\n(2) The document must be produced by sending an SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address attaching the document as a MIME attachment.\n\n(3) The attached document must be in a version of one of the following standard document formats supported by the Department:\n\n(a) Microsoft Word;\n\n(b) Microsoft Excel;\n\n(c) HTML;\n\n(d) PDF;\n\n(e) plain text;\n\n(f) JPEG.","sortOrder":17},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Communications generally","content":"#### 10 Communications generally\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this Part apply to a person who:\n\n(a) is required or permitted to make a communication with the Department under:\n\n(i) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(ii) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(iii) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(iv) Part IX of the Act; and\n\n(b) wishes to communicate with the Department electronically.\n\n(2) However, the information technology requirements in this Part do not apply to a person who wishes to communicate electronically with the Department in the circumstances mentioned in Part 2.","sortOrder":18},{"sectionNumber":"11","sectionType":"section","heading":"General requirements for electronic communications","content":"#### 11 General requirements for electronic communications\n\n(1) A person who communicates electronically with the Department must communicate by:\n\n(a) an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email to an email address specified by the Department; or\n\n(b) an EDI message delivered by MQ over an MQ channel preconfigured by agreement with the Department; or\n\n(c) the Cargo Interactive Facility using HTTPS to a Departmental website using a version of an internet browser that is supported by the Department for such transactions; or\n\n(d) an API to a nominated Departmental Endpoint.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subparagraphs 11(1)(a)-(c), a person who communicates electronically with the department must:\n\n(a) be registered in:\n\n(i) the Common Connect Facility; and\n\n(ii) the ICS; and\n\n(b) communicate with the Department using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy administered by the Digital Transformation Agency; and\n\n(c) configure the person’s email software with the appropriate digital certificate to be able to decrypt encrypted emails sent to the person by the Department.\n\nNote: The Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Digital Transformation Agency’s website (https://www.dta.gov.au).\n\n(3) For the purposes of subparagraph 11(1)(d), a person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API to a Departmental endpoint must:\n\n(a) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager; and\n\n(b) use an authenticated and authorised digital machine certificate linked to the organisation’s ABN.","sortOrder":19},{"sectionNumber":"12","sectionType":"section","heading":"Standards and specifications for EDI messages","content":"#### 12 Standards and specifications for EDI messages\n\nA person who communicates electronically with the Department by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must comply with the UN/EDIFACT D99B standards, in accordance with the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide, as in force at the commencement of this Determination and published on the Department’s website.\n\nNote: The ICS Message Implementations Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide could in 2021 be viewed on the Department’s website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au)","sortOrder":20},{"sectionNumber":"12A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Standards and Specifications for APIs","content":"#### 12A Standards and Specifications for APIs\n\n  A person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API must comply with the API specifications outlined in the API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n> Note: The Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website (https://homeaffairs.gov.au).","sortOrder":21},{"sectionNumber":"13","sectionType":"section","heading":"Information technology requirements for signature","content":"#### 13 Information technology requirements for signature\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this section and section 15 apply to a person who is required to sign an electronic communication with the Department under:\n\n(a) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(b) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(c) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(d) Part IX of the Act.\n\n(2) A communication by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must be digitally signed and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n  (3) A communication by an API must be digitally authenticated with a machine credential that is registered in Home Affairs Access Manager in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® Strategy.","sortOrder":22},{"sectionNumber":"14","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility","content":"#### 14 Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility\n\n(1) A person using the Cargo Interactive Facility must authenticate the communication using a digital certificate issued in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n(2) A communication using the Cargo Interactive Facility must be digitally authenticated and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.","sortOrder":23},{"sectionNumber":"14A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager","content":"#### 14A Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager\n\nA person using Home Affairs Access Manager for the purposes of communicating with the Department via an API must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity in myID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the organisation in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework could in 2025 be viewed on the Digital ID website ([https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/](https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/)).","sortOrder":24},{"sectionNumber":"15","sectionType":"section","heading":"Digital signature and certificate","content":"#### 15 Digital signature and certificate\n\n(1) The person must use the digital signature and associated digital certificate appropriate to the nature of the communication.\n\n(2) Any digital certificate for the communication must be issued:\n\n(a) by a Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority; and\n\n(b) in accordance with a Gatekeeper® Certificate Policy and Certificate Practice Statement.\n\n(3) The Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority referred to in subsection (2) must be an Authority that has been approved by the Department for that purpose.","sortOrder":25},{"sectionNumber":"Part 4","sectionType":"part","heading":"Electronic production of documents","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\nThis instrument is the Customs (Information Technology Requirements) Determination 2021.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under section 126DA of the Customs Act 1901.\n\n#### 4 Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 4(1) of the Customs Act 1901, including the following:\n\n(a) customs broker\n\n(b) duty;\n\n(c) goods;\n\n(d) importer;\n\n(e) nominee;\n\n(f) self-assessed clearance declaration;\n\n(g) specified low value goods.\n\nIn this instrument:\n\nABN has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.\n\nAct means the Customs Act 1901.\n\nAPI means Application Programming Interface, which acts as an intermediary that enables software applications to communicate with a server to access data and functions.\n\nATT Portal means the Australian Trusted Trader Portal, which is the website operated by the Department to receive nominations by entities to join the Australian Trusted Trader Programme.\n\nAustralia Travel Declaration has the meaning given by section 4 of the Customs Regulation.\n\nClaim for the Return of Seized Goods web form means the website operated by the Department to process electronic applications for the return of seized goods.\n\nCollector has the meaning given by section 8 of the Act.\n\nCustoms Regulation means the Customs Regulation 2015.\n\nDepartment means the Department of Home Affairs.\n\nEDI means Electronic Data Interchange.\n\nEndpoint means a digital location where an Application Programming Interface (API) receives API calls, also known as API requests, for resources on its server.\n\nHome Affairs Access Manager means the website that is used to manage access and permissions for external organisations to Departmental systems at https://am.homeaffairs.gov.au.\n\nHTTPS means Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.\n\nICS means Integrated Cargo System.\n\nMQ means the secure message delivery platform known as IBM MQ.\n\nS/MIME means Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.\n\nSMTP means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.\n\nSubdivision AA goods has the meaning given by section 71AAAA of the Act.\n\nUN/EDIFACT means the international standard, known as Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, administered by the United Nations.\n\n## Part 2—Information technology requirements for specified communications\n\n#### 6 Communicating import declaration for goods imported through the post\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person has personal property in goods:\n\n(i) to which section 68 of the Act applies; and\n\n(ii) that are intended to be entered for home consumption; and\n\n(iii) that are imported into Australia through the post; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(c) the communication is an import declaration under 71A of the Act for the goods, in an approved statement in accordance with section 71L of the Act.\n\n(2) The communication may be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 7 Communicating application to move, alter or interfere with certain goods\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to communicate with the Department electronically; and\n\n(b) the communication is an application under section 119AA or 119AB of the Act, in an approved statement, for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods in a particular way.\n\n(2) The communication must be by a SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address dedicated to the receipt of such messages.\n\n#### 8 Communicating nomination to participate in Australian Trusted Trader Programme\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a nomination to participate in the Australian Trusted Trader Programme under section 176B of the Act.\n\n(2) The nomination must be made using the website, known as the ATT Portal, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 8A Submitting an Australia Travel Declaration\n\n(1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n\n(a) a person wishes to submit to the Department an Australia Travel Declaration in respect of the importation of the person’s Subdivision AA goods that includes the information specified in subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation about the goods; and\n\n(b) the person causes the completed Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department, including for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Act.\n\nNote 1: Subsection 27(2) of the Customs Regulation sets out the specified information that is sought for the purposes of sections 71 and 71AAAB of the Customs Act.\n\nNote 2: Section 71 of the Act empowers a Collector to decide whether to grant or refuse giving an authority to deal with goods.\n\nNote 3: Section 71AAAB of the Act empowers a Collector to, upon considering information that the Collector must have regard to, decide whether to authorise or refuse to authorise the delivery of Subdivision AA goods into home consumption.\n\n(2) The submission of an Australia Travel Declaration must be:\n\n(a) a message using HTTPS that is capable of being received by the departmental system that processes the Australia Travel Declaration; or\n\n(b) made using the web form known as the Australia Travel Declaration administered by the Department for that purpose.\n\n(3) The person causing an Australia Travel Declaration to be submitted to the Department under subsection (2) must sign the Australia Travel Declaration by inserting the person’s full name as text.\n\n#### 8B Claim for return of goods seized under section 205B of the Customs Act\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if a person wishes to electronically make a claim for the return of goods seized under section 205B(2A) of the Act.\n  (2) The claim must be made using the web form, known as the Claim for the Return of Seized Goods web form, administered by the Department.\n\n#### 9 Signature\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person, including a person acting on behalf of an organisation, communicates electronically with the Department using an SMTP email; and\n\n(b) the person is required to provide the person’s signature; and\n\n(c) the communication contains:\n\n(i) an import declaration made under section 71A of the Act; or\n\n(ii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export made under section 119AA of the Act; or\n\n(iii) an application for permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export made under section 119AB of the Act.\n\n(2) The person must place the person’s full name in the SMTP email.\n\n(3) If the communication is made on behalf of an organisation that has an ABN, the SMTP email must include the name and ABN of the organisation.\n\n## Part 2A–Information Technology Requirements for the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\n#### 9A Simplified Outline–Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot is a time-limited trial of novel information technology systems.\n\nPilot participants will lodge self-assessed clearance declarations through the Trade Portal. Pilot participants must register with the Home Affairs Access Manager and also be registered in the ICS. In order to use the Trade Portal and Home Affairs Access Manager, individuals communicating with the Department on behalf of pilot participants must authenticate their identity using myID and be linked to an ABN in RAM, in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\n#### 9B Interpretation\n\nIn this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\nABF Trade Portal means the interactive portal for online services available through the Department’s website at https://trade.abf.gov.au.\n\npilot participant is an importer, customs broker, nominee or other person or entity who has joined the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot.\n\nRAM means the Australian Taxation Office Relationship Authorisation Manager.\n\nSelf-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot means the pilot of electronic lodgement of self-assessed clearance declarations described in section 9A.\n\n#### 9C Communicating a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nThe information technology requirements in this Part apply if a pilot participant who is the owner of specified low value goods, or is acting on behalf of the owner of specified low value goods, wishes to communicate with the Department to lodge a short-form self-assessed clearance declaration for the purposes of section 71AAAF of the Act.\n\n#### 9D Requirements for electronic communications for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot\n\nA pilot participant communicating electronically with the Department for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) communicate via the ABF Trade Portal; and\n\n(b) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager and ICS.\n\n#### 9E Authentication to ABF Trade Portal\n\nA pilot participant using the ABF Trade Portal for the purposes of the Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity inmyID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the pilot participant in RAM in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework is available on the Digital ID website https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/.\n\n## Part 3—Information technology requirements for general communications\n\n#### 10 Communications generally\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this Part apply to a person who:\n\n(a) is required or permitted to make a communication with the Department under:\n\n(i) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(ii) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(iii) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(iv) Part IX of the Act; and\n\n(b) wishes to communicate with the Department electronically.\n\n(2) However, the information technology requirements in this Part do not apply to a person who wishes to communicate electronically with the Department in the circumstances mentioned in Part 2.\n\n#### 11 General requirements for electronic communications\n\n(1) A person who communicates electronically with the Department must communicate by:\n\n(a) an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email to an email address specified by the Department; or\n\n(b) an EDI message delivered by MQ over an MQ channel preconfigured by agreement with the Department; or\n\n(c) the Cargo Interactive Facility using HTTPS to a Departmental website using a version of an internet browser that is supported by the Department for such transactions; or\n\n(d) an API to a nominated Departmental Endpoint.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subparagraphs 11(1)(a)-(c), a person who communicates electronically with the department must:\n\n(a) be registered in:\n\n(i) the Common Connect Facility; and\n\n(ii) the ICS; and\n\n(b) communicate with the Department using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy administered by the Digital Transformation Agency; and\n\n(c) configure the person’s email software with the appropriate digital certificate to be able to decrypt encrypted emails sent to the person by the Department.\n\nNote: The Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Digital Transformation Agency’s website (https://www.dta.gov.au).\n\n(3) For the purposes of subparagraph 11(1)(d), a person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API to a Departmental endpoint must:\n\n(a) be registered in Home Affairs Access Manager; and\n\n(b) use an authenticated and authorised digital machine certificate linked to the organisation’s ABN.\n\n#### 12 Standards and specifications for EDI messages\n\nA person who communicates electronically with the Department by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must comply with the UN/EDIFACT D99B standards, in accordance with the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide, as in force at the commencement of this Determination and published on the Department’s website.\n\nNote: The ICS Message Implementations Guidelines of the ICS Software Developers Guide could in 2021 be viewed on the Department’s website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au)\n\n#### 12A Standards and Specifications for APIs\n\n  A person who communicates electronically with the Department by an API must comply with the API specifications outlined in the API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n> Note: The Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines could in 2025 be viewed on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website (https://homeaffairs.gov.au).\n\n#### 13 Information technology requirements for signature\n\n(1) The information technology requirements in this section and section 15 apply to a person who is required to sign an electronic communication with the Department under:\n\n(a) Division 3 or 4 of Part IV of the Act; or\n\n(b) Division 2 of Part VI of the Act; or\n\n(c) Section 163 of the Act; or\n\n(d) Part IX of the Act.\n\n(2) A communication by an EDI message attached to an S/MIME SMTP email or delivered by MQ must be digitally signed and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n  (3) A communication by an API must be digitally authenticated with a machine credential that is registered in Home Affairs Access Manager in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® Strategy.\n\n#### 14 Authentication to the Cargo Interactive Facility\n\n(1) A person using the Cargo Interactive Facility must authenticate the communication using a digital certificate issued in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n(2) A communication using the Cargo Interactive Facility must be digitally authenticated and encrypted using PKI in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy.\n\n#### 14A Authentication to Home Affairs Access Manager\n\nA person using Home Affairs Access Manager for the purposes of communicating with the Department via an API must:\n\n(a) establish their Digital Identity in myID; and\n\n(b) link their myID with the ABN of the organisation in accordance with the Trusted Digital Identity Framework.\n\nNote: The Trusted Digital Identity Framework could in 2025 be viewed on the Digital ID website ([https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/](https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/)).\n\n#### 15 Digital signature and certificate\n\n(1) The person must use the digital signature and associated digital certificate appropriate to the nature of the communication.\n\n(2) Any digital certificate for the communication must be issued:\n\n(a) by a Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority; and\n\n(b) in accordance with a Gatekeeper® Certificate Policy and Certificate Practice Statement.\n\n(3) The Gatekeeper® accredited Certification Authority referred to in subsection (2) must be an Authority that has been approved by the Department for that purpose.\n\n## Part 4—Electronic production of documents\n\n#### 16 Information technology requirements for producing documents\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person is required to produce a document to the Department; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to produce the document electronically.\n\n(2) The document must be produced by sending an SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address attaching the document as a MIME attachment.\n\n(3) The attached document must be in a version of one of the following standard document formats supported by the Department:\n\n(a) Microsoft Word;\n\n(b) Microsoft Excel;\n\n(c) HTML;\n\n(d) PDF;\n\n(e) plain text;\n\n(f) JPEG.","sortOrder":26},{"sectionNumber":"16","sectionType":"section","heading":"Information technology requirements for producing documents","content":"#### 16 Information technology requirements for producing documents\n\n(1) This section applies if:\n\n(a) a person is required to produce a document to the Department; and\n\n(b) the person wishes to produce the document electronically.\n\n(2) The document must be produced by sending an SMTP email addressed to a nominated Department email address attaching the document as a MIME attachment.\n\n(3) The attached document must be in a version of one of the following standard document formats supported by the Department:\n\n(a) Microsoft Word;\n\n(b) Microsoft Excel;\n\n(c) HTML;\n\n(d) PDF;\n\n(e) plain text;\n\n(f) JPEG.","sortOrder":27}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Determination stays within the original administrative scope: it prescribes technical channels, authentication and message standards for electronic communications required under the Customs Act. It does not add new substantive powers or broaden the class of persons subject to customs obligations. The addition of a time‑limited pilot (Part 2A) introduces new, experimental processes for a limited group but does not materially expand the Determination’s overall purpose of standardising electronic communications."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple Parts and repeated conditional provisions (Parts 2, 2A, 3 and 4) with carve-outs and cross-references","Extensive cross-referencing to the Customs Act 1901 and Customs Regulation 2015 (e.g. sections 68, 71, 71A, 71L, 119AA, 119AB, 176B, 205B, 71AAAF)","Approximately 20 defined technical terms in the instrument (e.g. API, ATT Portal, ICS, MQ, S/MIME, SMTP, UN/EDIFACT, myID, RAM)","Layered authentication rules: different authentication flows for EDI/S/MIME/MQ, APIs, Cargo Interactive Facility, ATT Portal and pilot participants (ss 11–15, 14A, 9D–9E)","Multiple standards to comply with (UN/EDIFACT D99B, Commonwealth Gatekeeper® strategy, API Developer Portal Guidelines, ICS Message Implementation Guidelines)","Pilot-specific regime (Self‑Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot) with separate registration and identity requirements (Part 2A, ss 9A–9E)","Exceptions and simpler channels for specific communications (postal import declarations, certain web forms and email routes) produce branching logic (ss 6–9, 8A, 8B)","Dependence on externally maintained documents and platforms (Department website guidance, Digital Identity Framework, Gatekeeper® strategy) that may change over time"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (in simple terms)**\n\n- This Determination tells people how they must communicate electronically with the Department of Home Affairs for customs matters. It fixes the authorised channels, authentication and message formats that are acceptable for particular types of customs communications.\n\n- It is a technical rulebook: it does not change who has legal obligations under the Customs Act, it only says *how* those obligations can be discharged electronically (for example, by which website, API, email format or portal).\n\n**Who it affects**\n\n- Importers, customs brokers, nominees and other entities who must lodge declarations or other communications with the Department (see Parts 2, 2A and 3).\n- Persons making particular, specified communications: e.g. import declarations for goods arriving by post (s 6), applications to move/alter goods (s 7), nominations for the Australian Trusted Trader Programme (s 8), Australia Travel Declarations (s 8A), and claims for return of seized goods (s 8B).\n- Participants in the Self‑Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot (Part 2A, ss 9A–9E).\n- Software developers and service providers who implement integrations with Department endpoints (because of format and standards requirements in ss 11–12A).\n\n**How it works, mechanically**\n\n- Narrow exceptions: for some low‑formality or single‑purpose communications the Determination permits simple SMTP email or web forms (for example, import declarations for postal items may be sent by SMTP email (s 6); certain applications and signatures via email are allowed (s 7, s 9)).\n\n- For general/customs communications the Determination requires one of these channels (s 11):\n  - EDI messages attached to S/MIME SMTP email; or\n  - EDI delivered over MQ (IBM MQ); or\n  - Cargo Interactive Facility (web browser over HTTPS); or\n  - an API to a Departmental endpoint.\n\n- Authentication and registration requirements (ss 11(2)–(3), 14, 14A, 9E):\n  - Organisations must register in Department systems (for example, ICS, Common Connect Facility, Home Affairs Access Manager).\n  - Use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in line with the Commonwealth’s Gatekeeper® strategy is required for signing/encryption and certificates.\n  - API users must use machine certificates bound to their ABN and register via Home Affairs Access Manager; individuals for certain portals must establish a myID and link it to an ABN via RAM under the Trusted Digital Identity Framework (Part 2A, ss 9D–9E; s 14A).\n\n- Message/format standards (ss 12, 12A):\n  - EDI messages must comply with UN/EDIFACT D99B and the ICS Message Implementation Guidelines.\n  - API calls must comply with the Department’s API Developer Portal Guidelines.\n\n- Documents produced electronically must be sent as MIME attachments by SMTP and be in one of a list of common formats (Word, Excel, HTML, PDF, plain text or JPEG) (s 16).\n\n**Stated purpose and how that maps to costs and trade‑offs**\n\n- The instrument’s explicit purpose is to standardise and secure electronic communications between external parties and the Department (see the authentication, PKI and standards provisions). That aims to ensure messages are authentic, confidential and processable by the Department’s systems.\n\n- Costs and compliance burdens:\n  - Small importers or occasional users may face setup friction: obtaining digital identities (myID), registering with RAM/Home Affairs Access Manager/ICS, and acquiring Gatekeeper®‑accredited certificates. (Part 2A, ss 9D–9E; ss 11–15.)\n  - Businesses that already use EDI/APIs and hold appropriate certificates will primarily incur implementation or update costs to meet the specified standards and message versions.\n  - Software developers/service providers will need to implement and maintain support for specified UN/EDIFACT message sets or API specifications and ensure PKI/certificate handling.\n\n- Incentives and substitution effects:\n  - The Determination favours electronic integration (EDI, MQ, API) for regular traders; occasional users are provided limited email/web form routes for particular cases (s 6; s 8A; s 8B). That creates a practical divide between frequent users (who must integrate) and low‑volume users (who may use simpler channels).\n\n- Implementation and operational risks:\n  - Reliance on Departmental endpoints, approved Certification Authorities and specific Department registries concentrates control: the Department approves cert authorities and endpoints (s 15(3)). Availability or changes to Department systems or standards (e.g. API Developer Portal Guidelines, ICS guidelines) will affect users and may require update work.\n  - If Department systems are unavailable, parties who must use strict electronic channels may face delays; alternatives are limited by the Determination.\n\n**Who pays and who decides**\n\n- Businesses and individuals bear the technical and administrative costs of meeting registration, digital identity and certificate requirements. The Department decides which endpoints, cert authorities and message versions are acceptable and operates the required portals and web forms.\n\n**Key legal mechanics to note**\n\n- The Determination is a technical specification under s 126DA of the Customs Act. It does not change substantive customs duties or liabilities; those remain in the Act and Regulations. It prescribes the permitted electronic channels and authentication for discharging statutory communication requirements.\n\n(References: sections cited in the summary: ss 6–9, 9A–9E, 10–16, particularly ss 11–15 on general technical and authentication requirements.)"},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The original 2021 instrument appears to have been expanded beyond its initial scope through amendments. The inclusion of Part 2A (Self-Assessed Clearance Declaration Pilot) and sections 8A (Australia Travel Declaration), 8B (Claim for Return of Seized Goods), 12A (API Standards), and 14A (Home Affairs Access Manager authentication) suggest the instrument has grown from a basic 'how to communicate with Customs' document to encompass new digital identity frameworks, pilot programs, and modern API-based systems. The temporal references in notes (2021, 2025) indicate ongoing updates to incorporate evolving technology standards."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple overlapping communication pathways (4 different methods in Part 3, plus specific methods for specific purposes in Part 2)","Extensive technical jargon and acronyms (EDI, SMTP, S/MIME, MQ, API, HTTPS, PKI, UN/EDIFACT D99B, etc.)","Cross-references to external standards: UN/EDIFACT D99B, Commonwealth Gatekeeper strategy, Trusted Digital Identity Framework, ICS Message Implementation Guidelines","Conditional logic with nested exceptions: Part 3 applies generally BUT excludes Part 2 circumstances; different signature requirements apply depending on communication method","Multiple authentication systems: Common Connect Facility, ICS, Home Affairs Access Manager, myID, RAM, Gatekeeper-accredited Certification Authorities","External document dependencies: API Developer Portal Guidelines, ICS Software Developers Guide (not contained in the instrument itself)","Duplicated content in the provided text (appears to be compilation errors with repeated sections)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets mandatory technical rules for how businesses and individuals must communicate electronically with the Department of Home Affairs on customs matters. It affects importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight operators and anyone lodging declarations or claims, and prescribes approved systems (email, secure web/portal, APIs and messaging) plus PKI/Gatekeeper security requirements.\n\nIt also creates a pilot for simplified self‑assessed clearance of low‑value goods via the ABF Trade Portal with myID and ATO RAM. Failure to use the specified methods can lead to rejected paperwork and noncompliance."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021","history":"/api/acts/customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021/history","analysis":"/api/acts/customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/customs-information-technology-requirements-determination-2021/documents"}}