Good news for dairy processors: exports to Australia will go ahead without a hitch
The State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) has finalised the new veterinary certificates that Australia will require from this autumn, and the country’s competent authority has confirmed that they may be used immediately.
At the end of last year, Australia updated its import requirements for dairy products and granted all trading partners a transition period until 1 September 2026. During this time, countries were required to harmonise the new veterinary certificates; otherwise, exports would have faced the risk of additional restrictions.
In response to these changes, the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) has drawn up and harmonised veterinary certificates for dairy products and cheeses made from the milk of cows, sheep and goats (excluding those made from unpasteurised milk). Following the approval of the documents by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Lithuanian companies can continue to export their products in accordance with the new requirements.
„Our aim is to ensure that the new import requirements do not become an obstacle for Lithuanian businesses. The harmonisation of veterinary certificates often goes unnoticed, but it is precisely this that determines whether exporters can access foreign markets in a timely manner. We completed this work before the end of the transition period, so Lithuanian companies will be able to continue exporting to Australia without any problems“, – says Vaidotas Kiudulas, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Republic of Lithuania.
Australia is one of the markets with strict import requirements for products of animal origin; consequently, the harmonisation of veterinary certificates often takes a long time and is a prerequisite for trade.&
According to data from the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT), over the past twelve months (30 June 2025 – 30 June 2026), almost 6.6 thousand tonnes of dairy products were exported from Lithuania to Australia, mainly in the form of tinned milk. During the same period, 385 tonnes of tinned pet food and 14 tonnes of fishery products were also exported to that country.
From 1 September 2026, Australia will issue new import licences only in accordance with the updated veterinary requirements. Certificates that have been harmonised in good time ensure that Lithuanian exporters will not have to halt or postpone supplies to this market.
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