On 1 September 2024, the Defence Trade Controls Amendment Act 2024 and supporting Defence Trade Legislation Amendment Regulations 2024 commenced, changing Australia’s defence export controls laws in 2 major ways:
- A licence-free environment was established, waiving permit requirements for most military and dual-use goods and technology transferred between Australia, the United Kingdom and United States.
- 3 new offences for which permits may be required (in addition to existing offences) were added to the Defence Trade Controls Act 2012:
- Section 10A: supply of Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL) technology to non exempt foreign persons within Australia
- Section 10B: supply of DSGL goods and technology on Part 1 (Munitions) or Part 2 (Dual Use) ‘Sensitive’ and ‘Very Sensitive’ Lists, that was previously exported or supplied from Australia
- Section 10C: provision of services related to Part 1 of the DSGL to foreign nationals outside of Australia.
The passage of these changes was supported by an independent assessment by the Office of Impact Analysis.
Detailed materials about the licence-free environment and new offences are available on the Outreach and training page. Permit application guides – including for Section 10A, 10B and 10C – can also be found on the Permits page.