COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
//
© 2026 Zoe. All rights reserved.
Zoe is a legal information platform. Always consult the Federal Register of Legislation for authoritative text.
Commonwealth legislation
This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
This instrument approves the CARGO REPORT (SEA) form as the official paperwork for reporting sea cargo to Australian Customs, replacing the prior 2005 approval. It affects shipping companies, cargo reporters and importers, requiring standardised reporting of goods being unloaded in Australia or carried onward, while excluding personal luggage, crew effects and ship stores.
Standardisation helps Customs screen for security, tax and biosecurity risks before goods enter Australia.
Want the full deep dive?
Zoe can write the in-depth analysis on top of the summary above: how it works, who it affects and what each part actually does.
Direct links to the current provisions in Customs Act 1901 - CEO Instrument of Approval No. 113 of 2005.
I, LIONEL BARRIE WOODWARD, Chief Executive Officer of Customs, under section 4A and paragraph 64AB(4A)(b) of the Customs Act 1901 (the Act), approve the attached “CARGO REPORT (SEA)" (B351 December 2005) form as an approved form for the purposes of communicating, by document, particulars of:
a) all goods that a cargo reporter has arranged to be carried on a ship on a voyage and that are intended to be unloaded from the ship at a port in Australia (whether the first port or any subsequent port on the same voyage), other than goods that are accompanied personal or household effects of a passenger or member of the crew or ship’s stores; and
b) all goods that the cargo reporter has arranged to be carried on a ship and that are intended to be kept on board the ship for shipment to a place outside Australia, other than goods that are accompanied personal or household effects of a passenger or member of the crew or ship’s stores.
CEO Instrument of Approval No. 81 of 2005 is revoked.
This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.
Dated: 7 December 2005
LIONEL BARRIE WOODWARD
Chief Executive Officer of Customs
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
I, LIONEL BARRIE WOODWARD, Chief Executive Officer of Customs, under section 4A and paragraph 64AB(4A)(b) of the Customs Act 1901 (the Act), approve the attached “CARGO REPORT (SEA)" (B351 December 2005) form as an approved form for the purposes of communicating, by document, particulars of:
a) all goods that a cargo reporter has arranged to be carried on a ship on a voyage and that are intended to be unloaded from the ship at a port in Australia (whether the first port or any subsequent port on the same voyage), other than goods that are accompanied personal or household effects of a passenger or member of the crew or ship’s stores; and
b) all goods that the cargo reporter has arranged to be carried on a ship and that are intended to be kept on board the ship for shipment to a place outside Australia, other than goods that are accompanied personal or household effects of a passenger or member of the crew or ship’s stores.
CEO Instrument of Approval No. 81 of 2005 is revoked.
This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.
Dated: 7 December 2005
LIONEL BARRIE WOODWARD
Chief Executive Officer of Customs