In Australia, asbestos is a banned substance and is prohibited from being imported. Many countries have asbestos tolerances in vehicle parts, but Australia has zero tolerance.
This includes any car or motorcycle parts that may contain asbestos. i.e. gaskets, brake pads, seals and clutch linings. This is not a complete list but the most common parts found.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) focuses on classic cars and vehicles made before the 1990s. This is because it was common for parts prior to 1990 to have asbestos content.
If a car contains asbestos it will be stopped while in Customs Bond for testing and asbestos removal. This gets very expensive very fast. As the car importer, you are responsible for all storage fees, testing costs, mechanic fees, and asbestos disposal.
What options are available to satisfy the ABF?
Asbestos testing
To make sure your car or motorcycle is not contaminated with asbestos, Taurus can help with testing. Depending on your location, this can be done at our warehouse, .
If not, you will need to take the vehicle to an asbestos specialist. They will perform a full examination and provide a report to confirm there are no asbestos risks. This service is available in most countries we import from, including New Zealand, USA, South Africa and the UK.
Remove, rather than sample and test
If you suspect the vehicle you want to import has asbestos material, it might be cheaper to replace all at-risk parts rather than spend money on testing when you know the outcome is likely to show the presence of asbestos.
All replacement parts need proof of manufacturing specifications. This shows that no asbestos was used in the parts and components you replaced. This documentation may be requested by the ABF at time of importation.
If the ABF are not happy with the documents given, they can still order a vehicle test.
For further information refer to the ABF asbestos risk guide.