When you’re returning to Australia, be careful that you don’t bring in pests and diseases. Some items you might bring back from overseas can be pests and diseases that Australia doesn’t have. When you return, declare(申报)all food, meat, fruits, plants, seeds, wooden souvenirs, animal or plant materials.
Australia has strict quarantine(检疫)laws and tough on-the-spot fines. Every piece of luggage is now screened or X-rayed. If you fail to declare any quarantine items, or if you make a false declaration, you will get caught. In addition to on-the-spot fines, you could be accused and fined more than $60, 000 and you may risk 10 years in prison. All international mail is also screened.
Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Items that are restricted because of the risk of pests and diseases will be seized and destroyed by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service(AQIS).
In many cases, the goods you declare will be returned to you after inspection. However, any item that presents a quarantine risk will be withheld(扣留). You will be given a range of options for each item depending on the quarantine risk:
Treating the item to make it safe;
Holding the item until an import permit is presented*; ·
Re-exporting the item;
Destroying the item.
Those treatments with the sign “*” are subject to fees.
Further information:
For more detailed information about bringing in food, animals, plants, animal or plant materials, call the AQIS at 1800-020-504.
Which of the following don’t you need to declare when returning to Australia?
A.Tea. | B.Wooden combs. | C.Some bread. | D.A pair of glasses. |
If you make a false declaration, you would _______ .
A.be fined a lot of money |
B.be forbidden to return to Australia |
C.have to declare your items again |
D.make yourself screened |
Where can we most probably find this passage?
A.In an advertisement. |
B.In a traveling guidebook. |
C.At the police station. |
D.In a hospital. |
We can learn from the passage that _______ .
A.you can keep the item before an import permit is presented |
B.all products must be treated according to the AQIS |
C.not all treatments for your declared items are free |
D.travelers can sell their declared items |