Importing Live trees and other plants; bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage from Kenya into Australia (2026)

Australia has no FTA with Kenya so MFN tariff rates apply to all Chapter 6 goods, and DAFF biosecurity import permits must be secured before shipment given Kenya is a high-risk agricultural origin subject to strict Biosecurity Act 2015 import conditions for cut flowers and plant material.

No FTA — MFN rates applyHS Chapter 6

Compliance requirements

⚠Obtain a DAFF Biosecurity Import Permit before shipment — Kenyan plant material will be seized without one.
⚠Require a Kenyan NPPO-issued phytosanitary certificate confirming approved offshore treatment such as fumigation or cold treatment.
⚠Ensure tissue-cultured plants arrive in sterile agar medium and that no soil or unsterilised growing media is present in any consignment.
⚠All live plants, bulbs, and cut flowers require a biosecurity import permit (BIP) issued by DAFF before shipment — importing without one risks seizure and destruction at the border
⚠Most plant material must undergo mandatory offshore treatment (fumigation, heat treatment, or cold treatment) certified in an official phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's national plant protection organisation (NPPO)
⚠Soil, growing media, and unsterilised potting mix are prohibited or severely restricted — tissue-cultured plants must arrive in approved sterile agar medium to meet post-entry requirements
⚠High-risk plant material (including certain bulbs and bare-rooted stock) is subject to mandatory post-entry quarantine (PEQ) at an approved DAFF facility for up to 24 months, at the importer's cost — this must be pre-booked before shipment
⚠CITES permits are required for regulated species such as certain orchid genera (e.g. Paphiopedilum) and cycads — both an export permit from the origin country and an Australian import permit from DAWE are mandatory
⚠No FTA exists between Australia and Kenya so MFN general tariff rates apply to all goods; a standard commercial invoice and packing list are required but no preferential certificate of origin is needed
⚠Biosecurity Australia imposes strict import conditions on Kenyan agricultural products including cut flowers, fresh produce, plant material and hides - import permits and offshore treatment or inspection on arrival at an Australian first port of entry are commonly required under the Biosecurity Act 2015
⚠Tea, coffee and food products from Kenya must comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code including labelling, permitted additives and contaminant limits; the Department of Agriculture may conduct documentary and physical checks under AQIS protocols
⚠Leather and animal-derived products such as hides and skins require an import permit and may be subject to treatment requirements to address pest and disease risk; wooden packaging must comply with ISPM 15 heat treatment and marking standards or face rejection at the border

Key documents required

Biosecurity Import Permit (BIP) issued by DAFF
Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the exporting country's NPPO
CITES import and export permits (where applicable for protected species)
Treatment certificate confirming offshore fumigation, heat, or cold treatment to Australian standards
Commercial invoice and packing list detailing botanical genus, species, quantity, and country of origin

Import tip

Book post-entry quarantine (PEQ) facility space with DAFF months in advance of shipment — PEQ slots are limited and a confirmed booking reference is required before your biosecurity import permit will be issued, so late booking is the single most common cause of shipment delays and demurrage costs in this chapter.

Calculate the total landed cost for Chapter 6 goods from Kenya — duty, GST, IPC, and biosecurity included.

Calculate Landed Cost Find HS Code with AI

Other product categories imported from Kenya

Ch.9Coffee, tea, maté and spices Ch.7Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers Ch.8Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons Ch.33Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations Ch.63Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags Ch.41Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather