Customs Amendment (Safeguard Inquiries) Bill 2026

Summary

This amendment changes how Australia investigates whether imported goods are being dumped or unfairly subsidized, which can hurt local manufacturers. It modifies the Customs Act 1901 to update the procedures the Department of Home Affairs uses when looking into these trade safeguard complaints. The changes matter because they affect how quickly and fairly Australian businesses can get protection from cheap imports, and they determine what evidence gets examined and how decisions get made during these investigations.

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