What the destination checks
Australia inspects every consignment of used machinery. Low contamination is re-cleaned at an approved site at the importer’s cost; a heavily contaminated machine can be ordered out of the country. Cleaning tracks, belly pans and radiators properly can mean partly dismantling the machine[1].
New Zealand requires used machinery to be cleaned inside and out and, for outdoor machinery, a cleaning certificate before arrival. MPI can require partial or full dismantling if it cannot verify cleanliness, and the importer pays for any action taken[2].
Between 1 September and 30 April, machinery shipped from the U.S. to Australia also needs stink bug treatment; flat rack, open top and breakbulk cargo is treated before it leaves[3].
How a machine is washed for export
- 01
Inspect
Tracks, rollers, belly pans, radiators, cabs and air filters, where soil and seeds collect.
- 02
- 03
Wash and dry
At a facility near the port, so the machine does not pick up mud on the way back.
- 04
Record
Photos and the wash record kept with the export file; the cleaning certificate signed by the person who did the work[2].
Washing and the shipping method
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Container | The machine is washed, loaded and sealed, so it stays clean to destination. | It must be dismantled further to fit than the cleaning needs. |
| Flat rack or breakbulk | The machine is too big for a box; for Australia in the stink bug season it is treated before it leaves[3]. | An untreated flat rack to Australia between 1 September and 30 April: it is refused discharge. |
| RoRo | The machine drives aboard after the wash; RoRo ships calling at risk countries get extra checks in Australia. | The terminal is muddy: the machine is checked again before it boards. |
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
We quote in this order because it is usually cheapest first. Most machines that look too big for a box fit once our crew takes off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels; larger ones are taken further apart across several containers, and pieces too big or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer go breakbulk.
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Rules that apply
- Used machinery cleanliness: AustraliaAustralian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Used machinery must arrive free of soil, seeds and plant or animal material, which can mean partly dismantling the machine to clean hollow and concealed sections. Every consignment is inspected on arrival; a machine with low contamination is re-cleaned at an approved site at the importer’s cost, and a heavily contaminated one can be ordered out of the country.[1]
Applies to: Used machinery and parts shipped to Australia
- Used machinery cleanliness: New ZealandNew Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries
Used machinery must be cleaned inside and out before shipping, and a cleaning certificate for used outdoor machinery reaches MPI before arrival. MPI expects to inspect on arrival, within 12 hours of unloading for breakbulk and open containers, and can require partial or full dismantling. If contamination cannot be removed, the machine may be reshipped or destroyed at the importer’s cost.[2]
Applies to: Used vehicles, machinery and parts shipped to New Zealand
- Brown marmorated stink bug season: AustraliaAustralian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Target high-risk goods shipped from the United States between 1 September and 30 April need mandatory treatment, judged by the shipped-on-board date. Flat rack, open top and breakbulk cargo must be treated before it leaves; if untreated, it is refused discharge or sent back. Heat treatment holds 56 °C at the coldest surface for 30 minutes, and for break bulk pieces under 6,610 lb (3,000 kg) 60 °C for 10 minutes.[3]
Applies to: Machinery, vehicles, steel and other listed goods (HS chapters 84, 85 and 87 among them) shipped from the U.S. by sea, 1 September to 30 April
Questions about washing
Is a pressure wash enough for Australia?
Often not. Soil and seeds hide in belly pans, radiators and track frames, and cleaning them can mean taking panels off. Australia re-cleans contaminated machines at the importer’s cost.
Who signs New Zealand’s cleaning certificate?
The person who did or supervised the dismantling and cleaning. It is submitted to MPI before the machine arrives.
Does a new machine need washing?
New machines are not held to the used machinery rules, but they can still be inspected, and stink bug measures apply to new machinery to Australia in season.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Cleanliness requirements for imported machinery, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, Steps to importing vehicles, machinery, or parts, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Seasonal measures for brown marmorated stink bug, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.