EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1985 No. 378
Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations (Amendment)
Issued by the Authority of the Minister of State for Industry, Technology and Commerce
In August 1985 the Government announced it’s decision to introduce a range of selective economic and other measures against South Africa in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The purpose of the regulations is to insert a new regulation 13C into the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations (“the Regulations”) to prohibit the exportation from Australia to the Republic of South Africa of certain goods unless the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, or a person authorized by that Minister, is produced to a Collector of Customs.
The regulations introduce the prohibition as follows:
• regulation 1 is a formal regulation defining the term “Principal Regulations” in the amending regulations to mean the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations;
• regulation 2 inserts a new regulation 13C into the Regulations which:
- sub-regulation 13C(1) defines the term “authorized person” to mean a person authorized in writing by the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the purposes of regulation 13C; and
- sub-regulation 13C(2) prohibits the exportation from Australia to the Republic of South Africa of the goods specified in new Schedule 14 to the Regulations unless the written permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs or an authorized person to export the goods is produced to a Collector of Customs;
• regulation 3 inserts a new Schedule 14 into the Regulations which specifies the following seven items as the goods which are the subject of the export prohibition:
1. Batons, clubs, riot sticks and similar devices of a kind used for law enforcement purposes.
2. Body armour, including -
(a) bullet-resistant apparel;
(b) bullet-resistant pads; and
(c) protective helmets.
3. Computer hardware, including central processing units.
4. Handcuffs, leg irons and other devices used for restraining prisoners.
5. Printed circuit board assemblies suitable for use in or with goods referred to in item 3.
6. Riot protection shields.
7. Whips.