Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures are quarantine and biosecurity measures which help prevent the spread of pests or diseases among animals and plants and ensure that food is safe for consumers. SPS measures can impact the import and export of goods.

SPS measures which affect international trade are governed by the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). The SPS Agreement sets out the basic rights and responsibilities on the adoption of SPS measures. The SPS Agreement provides WTO Members with the right to use SPS measures to protect human, animal or plant life or health, as necessary to maintain a level of protection it considers appropriate within its territory. The key obligations are that SPS measures must:

• be based on scientific principles and not maintained without sufficient scientific evidence; and
• be applied only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health and not be more trade restrictive than necessary; and
• not constitute arbitrary or unjustifiable treatment or a disguised restriction on international trade.

The WTO SPS Committee oversees implementation of the SPS Agreement and provides a forum to discuss potential trade concerns.

How do I keep informed of notified SPS measures?

WTO members provide notifications of new SPS measures and changes to existing SPS measures via the ePing platform. You can browse the website for SPS notifications or sign up to receive email alerts for your specific export markets and/or products. Please note ePing notifications contain information WTO members have notified and therefore may not contain all SPS measures.

• ePing user guide [DOCX 219 KB]
• ePing user guide [PDF 370 KB]

Responsibility for Australia's SPS measures

Under the transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement, Australia is required to have a National Enquiry Point and a National Notification Authority for receiving enquiries on Australia's SPS measures and notifying the WTO on its measures.

The Australian Government combines the two SPS enquiry and notification functions and responsibilities into one administrative position, the 'SPS Contact Point', which is managed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

The SPS Contact Point is the central contact point for all Australian agencies and departments to submit Australian SPS notifications to the WTO

If you have questions or concerns about a trading partner's SPS measures, contact SPS.contact@aff.gov.au.

For additional information on SPS measures and the role of the Australian Government please visit the DAFF webpage on SPS Measures

For additional information on the SPS Agreement and the SPS Committee please visit the WTO SPS Gateway.