Customs Act 1901

If at any time the Comptroller‑General of Customs is of the opinion that, for the reason that persons are anticipating, or may anticipate, an increase in the rate of duty applicable to goods of a particular kind, the quantity of goods of that kind that may be entered for home consumption during a period is likely to be greater than it would otherwise be, the Comptroller‑General of Customs may, by notice published in the Gazette, declare that that period is, for the purposes of this section, a declared period with respect to goods of that kind.

The Comptroller‑General of Customs shall, in a notice under subsection (1) declaring that a period is a declared period for the purposes of this section, specify in the notice another period being a period ending before the commencement of the declared period, as the base period in relation to the declared period.

Where the Comptroller‑General of Customs makes a declaration under subsection (1) specifying a declared period in respect of goods of any kind, he or she may, in respect of that kind of goods, or goods of a kind included in that kind of goods, make an order in writing (in this Act referred to as a quota order) applicable to a person specified in the order, being an order that states that the person’s quota, for the declared period, in respect of goods of the kind to which the order relates is such quantity as is specified in the order or is nil, and, subject to subsection (4) of this section, the order comes into force forthwith.

Where, during a declared period, a person enters goods for home consumption, being goods of a kind in respect of which there is no quota order in force that is applicable to that person for the declared period, the Comptroller‑General of Customs may, before authority to deal with the goods is given under section 71C and whether or not the declared period has expired, make, under subsection (3), a quota order that is applicable to that person for that declared period in respect of goods of that kind, and a quota order so made shall, unless the contrary intention appears in the order, be deemed to have come into force immediately before the time of entry of the goods.

In making a quota order under subsection (3), or revoking or varying a quota order under section 132C, with respect to a person, the Comptroller‑General of Customs shall have regard to the quantity of goods (if any) of the kind to which the order relates that, at any time or times during the period that is the base period with respect to the declared period to which the order relates or during any other period that the Comptroller‑General of Customs considers relevant, the person has entered for home consumption, and to such other matters as the Comptroller‑General of Customs considers relevant.

If:

at any time during a declared period, a person has entered any goods (in this section referred to as the relevant goods) for home consumption, being goods of a kind in respect of which there is in force at the time of entry of the goods a quota order that states that the person’s quota in respect of goods of that kind is a quantity specified in the order;

the quantity of the relevant goods so entered, together with goods (if any) of that kind previously entered for home consumption by the person during the declared period, exceeds the quota; and

the amount of import duty paid or payable on the relevant goods at the rate of duty in force at the time of entry of the goods is less than the amount of duty applicable to those goods in accordance with the rate of duty in force on the day immediately following the last day of the declared period;

If:

at any time during a declared period, a person has entered any goods for home consumption, being goods of a kind in respect of which there is in force at the time of entry of the goods a quota order that states that the person’s quota in respect of goods of that kind is nil; and

the amount of import duty paid or payable on those goods at the rate of duty in force at the time of entry of the goods is less than the amount of duty applicable to those goods in accordance with the rate of duty in force on the day immediately following the last day of the declared period;

Where at any time during a declared period, a person enters any goods for home consumption, being goods of a kind in respect of which there is in force at the time of entry of the goods a quota order that is applicable to that person for the declared period, the Commonwealth has the right, before authority to deal with the goods is given under section 71C, in addition to requiring import duty to be paid on the goods at the rate in force at that time of entry of the goods, to require and take, for the protection of the revenue in relation to any additional amount of duty that may become payable on the goods, or on a part of the goods, by virtue of the operation of subsection (6) or (7), security by way of cash deposit of an amount equal to the amount of duty payable on the goods, or on that part of the goods, at the rate in force at the time of entry of the goods.