How to fill out a non-asbestos or new-and-unused declaration
These two are the same document with a different sentence in the middle. One certifies that goods contain no asbestos; the other that they have never been used. Both are demanded by the destination rather than by the goods, and both are statements a border official will rely on.
The 14 fields on a non asbestos declaration
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- PO Reference
- Shipper / Exporter
The company making the statement. This is who is answerable for it, so it should be the entity that can actually evidence the claim.
- Consignee
- Invoice No.
The commercial invoice this declaration accompanies. Without it the declaration is unattached and an officer cannot tell which shipment it belongs to.
- B/L / AWB No.
The transport document, once issued. Often blank when the declaration is first drafted and filled in before presentation.
- Container No.
Ties the declaration to a specific box, which matters when only part of a consignment is being examined.
- Description of Goods
What you are certifying about, and the field that has to match the invoice word for word. A declaration covering \u201cthe goods\u201d certifies nothing identifiable; one naming the same description as the invoice ties the two together.
- Company
On letterhead, in practice. An unheaded, unsigned page is routinely sent back, because the document's only value is that a named company stands behind it.
- Name
A named person with authority to bind the company. Not a department.
- Title
- Place
Where it was signed. Some destinations require the declaration to be legalised, and the place of signature is what a consulate certifies.
- Date
A working non asbestos declaration, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
We, , hereby declare that the goods described above, supplied under invoice , do not contain asbestos in any form, whether chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite or anthophyllite, either as a raw material, a component, or within any gasket, seal, brake, friction or insulating material. We further declare that no asbestos-containing material has been used in the manufacture or packing of these goods. We accept full responsibility for the accuracy of this declaration.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
What triggers an asbestos declaration
Australia and New Zealand ban asbestos outright and require certification that goods contain none in any form. It catches products nobody thinks of as asbestos-bearing: gaskets, brake and clutch components, some cement board, certain seals and insulation. The declaration is required whether or not your product plausibly contains any, which is why exporters of unrelated goods still find themselves signing one.
What triggers a new-and-unused declaration
Destinations that restrict second-hand imports — to protect local industry, or on biosecurity grounds. The certification is that the goods have never been used, which is a stronger statement than \u201cin new condition\u201d and should not be signed for refurbished or ex-demonstration stock.
You are certifying, not guessing
Both are statements of fact relied on at a border, and a wrong one is a false declaration rather than a paperwork slip. Where you are a trader rather than the producer, get the same declaration from your supplier in writing before signing your own. That is what you would need to produce if the claim were ever tested.
These carry the same fields as the one above and are filled in the same way.
+Does it need to be on letterhead?
In practice yes, and signed. The document's whole value is that a named company stands behind the statement.
+Can one declaration cover several shipments?
Generally no. These are tied to a consignment through the invoice and transport document references, and a blanket declaration has nothing to attach to.
+What if my product genuinely cannot contain asbestos?
You still sign the declaration if the destination requires one. It is a condition of entry, not an assessment of plausibility.
+Does it need legalisation?
Some destinations require it, on top of any chamber certification. Find out before shipping — the legalisation chain routinely takes longer than the voyage.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the non asbestos declaration generator