Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972

The exemption from customs duties, taxes and related charges provided for by paragraph 1 or paragraph 2 of Article 50, or Article 62, of the Convention as having the force of law by virtue of section 5 in respect of articles imported into Australia that are for the use of a consular post or person referred to in that Article:

does not apply where any other articles of the same kind, or of a similar kind, that have been imported into Australia were, at the time when they were entered for home consumption under the Customs Act 1901, intended for the use of the consular post or person and the Customs Minister, by instrument in writing, declares that, in his or her opinion, the reasonable requirements of the consular post or person, as the case may be, have adequately been met by the other articles; and

does not apply unless:

the person for whose use the articles are intended, or, if the articles are intended for the use of a consular post, the head of the consular post, agrees that, if the articles are sold or otherwise disposed of in Australia or in an external Territory within, in the case of articles other than motor vehicles, 2 years, and in the case of motor vehicles, 3 years, after the date of entry of the articles for home consumption under the Customs Act 1901, he or she will pay to the Commonwealth an amount equal to so much (if any) as the Customs Minister determines of the customs duties, taxes and related charges that, but for paragraph 1 or paragraph 2 of Article 50, or Article 62, as the case may be, of the Convention, would have been payable in respect of the articles; and

where the person so entering into an agreement has previously entered into a similar agreement in relation to any other articles and has committed a breach of that last‑mentioned agreement—the person complies with such conditions (if any) as the Customs Minister, by instrument in writing, determines (which may include a condition that the person give security, satisfactory to that Minister, that he or she will comply with the first‑mentioned agreement).

Despite:

section 177‑5 of the GST Act; and

section 21‑5 of the Luxury Car Tax Act; and

section 27‑25 of the Wine Equalisation Tax Act;

Duties of customs imposed by the Customs Tariff Act 1995 are not payable in respect of articles that:

are, at the time when they are entered for home consumption under the Customs Act 1901, intended for the official use of a consular post in Australia of an overseas country, being a consular post to which Article 62 of the Convention as having the force of law by virtue of section 5 applies;

are declared by the head of the consular post, in writing, to be for the official use of the consular post; and

are articles, or are included in a class of articles, approved by the Customs Minister for the purposes of this subsection.

In subsection (1), motor vehicle means a vehicle with a motor engine, being a vehicle ordinarily for use on land.