Under Australian export control laws, it is a serious criminal offence to export, supply, publish or broker items listed on the Defence and Strategic Goods List without the approval and authorisation granted via a permit from Defence Export Controls.
Breaching export controls is a criminal offence that in certain circumstances may result in severe penalties (including prosecution) being applied. The criminal penalty provisions for each of the 3 new permit types (Section 10A, 10B and 10C) took effect from 1 March, 2025.
Defence Export Controls (DEC) assess all allegations of non-compliance to determine the level of action required. If a breach has occurred and is reported, Defence will hold the details in strict confidence.