Keeping sea containers clean: Australia’s initiative to minimise biosecurity risks

Canberra, 18 May 2021. International trade is essential to our way of life. Everyday sea containers are packed with important products, like food and medical equipment, and shipped all over the world. However, sometimes you can get more than you bargained for with contaminants and unwanted pests hitching a ride in the sea containers. These contaminants and pests can have devastating effects on a country’s economy and environment so reducing their presence in sea containers becomes critical.

The 7 tips for keeping containers clean poster provides advice to those involved in the sea container supply chain network on how to keep sea containers clean, and as a result, avoid border delays and unexpected costs. The poster was developed by the Australian government with input from the IPPC’s Sea Container Task Force.

IPPC contracting parties are encouraged to distribute the poster to the supply chain network through their respective channels to help minimise biosecurity risks associated with the international movements of sea containers.

Here is the link to the poster - please refer to the section Poster 2: Seven tips for keeping containers clean.

More on the ongoing work on sea containers in the IPPC framework at the following link: https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/sea-containers/