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

Summary

This amendment makes it easier for Australian Border Force officers to catch and penalise people importing counterfeit goods (products with fake brand names or trademarks). Instead of going through lengthy court prosecutions, customs officers can now issue on-the-spot infringement notices—similar to fines—to importers caught bringing in fake branded products. The changes update two laws: the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905 and the Customs Regulation 2015, by creating a new strict liability offence for importing counterfeit goods and allowing customs officials to issue penalty notices as an alternative to prosecution. This speeds up enforcement against counterfeiting at Australian borders, making it faster and cheaper to deal with the problem while still deterring people from trying to bring fake goods into the country.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause