Customs Legislation Amendment (False Trade Marks Infringement Notices) Bill 2026; First Reading

Summary

Australian customs officials will gain a faster way to deal with counterfeit goods entering the country. Right now, if someone imports fake branded products, customs can only prosecute them in court — a slow and expensive process. This change creates a new rule that makes importing counterfeit goods a strict liability offence (meaning intent doesn't matter), and allows the Australian Border Force to issue on-the-spot infringement notices instead of going to court. The amendments change the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905 and the Customs Regulation 2015 to add this new offence and enable the infringement notice scheme. This matters because border officials can now quickly penalise importers of counterfeit goods without lengthy court proceedings, making it faster and easier to protect Australian businesses and consumers from fake products.

What happens at this stage

The bill is introduced to the chamber by its sponsor and given a formal title. No debate takes place. This step exists so all members are officially notified the bill is coming before any substantive discussion begins.

Next: Second Reading, where the chamber debates the bill's overall purpose and principles