Austalia tobacco law

[FmGrowit]

I just got an email from a potential customer in Australia complaining about not being able to place an order.

Here's one reason...

"SUMMARY OF ALTERATIONS EXCISE TARIFF PROPOSAL (No. 1) 2013 CUSTOMS TARIFF PROPOSAL (No. 2) 2013 Reasons for changes: To increase the excise and excise equivalent customs rates of duty applying to tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and snuff from $0.35731 to $0.40197 per stick not exceeding 0.8 grams actual tobacco content in weight, and from $446.65 to $502.48 per kilogram of tobacco content for other tobacco. To index excise and excise equivalent duty on tobacco and tobacco products using average weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) instead of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Date of effect: 1 December 2013 Alterations to the Excise Tariff Act 1921 Alterations to the Customs Tariff Act 1995 Excise is imposed on petroleum, alcohol and tobacco produced in Australia. When imported these types of goods, known as excise equivalent goods, are subject to customs duty which includes a component at the same rates as the excise duty applied to locally-produced goods."

Here's another...

"The Regulations will limit access to unmanufactured tobacco leaf to legitimate manufactures of tobacco products or licensed dealers. Locally produced unmanufactured tobacco leaf is already controlled by legislation enforced by the Australian Taxation Office. Item 2401.10 of Schedule 3 of the Customs Tariff Act 1995 deals with tobacco, not stemmed/stripped. The proposal to make item 2401.10 a prohibited import is not to act as a barrier to the importation of tobacco leaf but to limit access to those licensed as manufacturers or registered dealers under provisions of the Excise Act 1901. Access to imported unmanufactured leaf will only be allowed with the Treasurer's approval and only to registered dealers and licensed manufactures"


Any questions?

 

[winston-smoker]

It looks like Australia is: (1) trying to close taxation loopholes; and (2) attempting to limit access to tobacco by individuals, so that they'll be bound hand and foot to overtaxed and over processed commercial tobacco. My hunch is to expect much of the same from New Zealand in short order; in fact, I'm surprised New Zealand didn't think of this first.

 

[darren1979]

If there's one country that's so anti smoking it has to be the aussies, they can't put an all out ban on smoking as it will be again people's human rights but they will make it as hard as they can to smoke a cig.

 

[TheOtherOne]

What is this price equivalent to in USD? Seems pretty intense. What about religious use of tobacco, are they supposed to smoke cigarettes in this case?
What would this mean for members in areas affected who are currently growing/posess their own whole leaf?

 

[winston-smoker]

Australian $502.48 = U.S. $448.71

1 kilogram = 2.20462 pounds

Highway Robbery!

 

[Matty]

Terrible. I believe it's Australia that has been using the drab olive colored packaging for tobacco products for awhile now, even the bands on cigars.

 

[TheOtherOne]

I can already see the packages of tobacco floating off the coast.