G/TBT/N/AUS/134  
23 July 2021  
(21-5794) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if dif ferent from above:   
Contact : Australia TBT Enquiry Point, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), 
email: tbt.enquiry@dfat.gov.au  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   
Elemental mercury (CAS Number: 7439 -97-6); HS 28054000 2) All mercury -added 
products listed in Part I of Annex A of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.  Batteries, 
except:  Button zinc silver oxide batteries with a mercury content <2% ,  Button zinc air 
batteries with a mercury content <2% . Switches and relays, except: Very high ac curacy 
capacitance and loss measurement bridges . High frequency radio frequency switches and 
relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20mg 
per bridge, switch or relay  Lamps containing specified quantities of mercury: Compact 
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤30 watts with a mercury 
content exceeding 2.5 mg per lamp burner o Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general 
lighting purposes - Triband phosphor <60 watts with a mercury content ex ceeding 5 mg 
per lamp; - Halophosphate phosphor ≤40 watts with a mercury content exceeding 10mg 
per lamp) o High pressure mercury vapour (HPMV) lamps for general lighting purposes o 
Cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) and external electrode fluorescent l amps (EEFL) 
for electronic displays: - short length (≤500mm) with mercury content exceeding 3.5mg 
per lamp - medium length (>500mm and ≤1500mm) with mercury content exceeding 
5mg per lamp - long length (>1500mm) with mercury content exceeding 13mg per lamp .  
Cosmetics (with a mercury content above 1ppm), including skin lightening soaps and 
creams, and not including eye area cosmetics where mercury is used as a preservative 
and no effective and safe substitute preservatives are available. Pesticides, biocide s, 
topical antiseptics . The following non -electronic measuring devices except non -electronic 
measuring devices installed in large -scale equipment or those used for high -precision 
measurement, where no suitable mercury -free alternative is available:  Barome ters  
Hygrometers Manometers  Thermometers Sphygmomanometers . 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Ratification of 
the Minamata Convention on Mercury – Final Regulation Impact Statement. (81 page(s), 
in English)  
6. Descript ion of content:  Australia proposes to:  G/TBT/N/AUS/134  
 
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  • Amend regulations under the Customs Act 1901  to prohibit the import and 
export of elemental mercury.  
• Amend regulations and rules under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989; 
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992; and Industrial 
Chemicals Act 2019 to prohibit the manufacture, import and export of certain 
mercury -containing products in Australia; and the import and export of 
elemental mercury.  
• Create a new rule under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020  to prohibit 
the manufacture, import and export of certain mercury -containing products in 
Australia.  
These amendments, along with other domestic law changes, will allow Au stralia to ratify, 
and comply with the obligations of, the Minamata Convention on Mercury.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:    These changes are necessary to meet Australia's ratification requirements 
for the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which aims to protect human health and the 
environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury 
compounds.; Protection of animal or plant life or health  
8. Relevant documents:   
Minamata Convention on Mercury - Treaty Text:  
http://www.mercuryconvention.org/Convention/Text/tabid/3426/language/en -
US/Default.aspx  
Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury  - Final Regulation Impact Statement: 
https://ris.pmc.gov.au/2021/03/04/ratifying -minamata -convention -mercury  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 December 2021  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 February 2022  
10. Final date for comments:  31 August 2021  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
TBT.Enquiry@dfat.gov.au  
http://www.mercuryconvention.org/Convention/Text/tabid/3426/language/en -
US/Default.aspx