Privacy notice

Our privacy notice explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information for TradeClear.

TradeClear is a digital service run by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department). We refer to the department as 'we' or 'us' in this privacy notice.

Separate privacy notices apply to the linked departmental systems (linked accounts) you can access through TradeClear account. When you access a linked departmental system through TradeClear, you leave TradeClear and go to that website.

When you link your TradeClear account to other departmental systems, the linked system may:

• collect your personal information from TradeClear
• use and disclose your personal information to TradeClear as set out in this privacy notice to the extent those actions relate to TradeClear.

The department collects your information including personal and sensitive information, as defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). 

We collect your personal information for the purpose of administering your account for TradeClear , allowing you to link your TradeClear account to other departmental systems, facilitating the submission and assessment of applications through TradeClear, and for related purposes.

This includes information:

• you provide;
• TradeClear creates about your use;
• we get from linked accounts about you.

If we do not collect your personal information, you will not be able to access TradeClear, or linked accounts or use their functionalities.

Your personal information will be used and stored in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act, opens in a new tab

Administration of your account

The department collects, uses and discloses personal information to operate TradeClear. This includes, but is not limited to:

• enabling you to sign in to your TradeClear account using your myID and Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM)
• enabling you to link your TradeClear account to other departmental systems or solutions (so that you can access and use these linked accounts after signing in to TradeClear)
• ensuring you are authorised to access TradeClear and any linked accounts on behalf of your business or organisation
• enabling you to sign in to your TradeClear account and any linked accounts using your email address and phone number, including for identity verification purposes
• providing access to your messages via TradeClear and any linked accounts
• enabling you to use TradeClear to update your details with the department
• viewing information on your dashboard.

The department will also collect limited personal information about you each time you access and use TradeClear and any linked accounts.

We store this information in audit logs. We use it to ensure that your access to TradeClear and any linked accounts is appropriate, through auditing and security monitoring.

We may share this information with our service providers. This is so we can receive technical and product support and other services, including for the purposes of verifying your identity.

myID and RAM

When you sign in to TradeClear using your myID, the administrator of the myID and RAM solutions (the Australian Taxation Office, as part of the Australian Government Digital ID System) will provide us with your:

• name
• date of birth
• email address
• information about the permissions your business or organisation has given you.

The department will use this personal information to:

• confirm your identity
• give you access to TradeClear and any linked accounts
• allow you to use TradeClear and any linked accounts to take actions for your business or organisation.

Your access on behalf of a business or organisation will depend on the permissions granted to you by that business in RAM, TradeClear or a linked account.

For more information about the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by the Australian Taxation Office in connection with the myID and RAM solutions, see the myID Privacy Notice, opens in a new tab and the RAM Privacy Notice, opens in a new tab.

Applications and other information submitted through TradeClear

The department is authorised or required under the Export Control Act 2020 (Cth) (the Export Control Act), the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) (the Biosecurity Act), and the regulations and rules made under those Acts, to collect certain information from you, including to assess applications (through linked accounts) and related purposes. We need to collect your personal information to receive and process your application through TradeClear and relevant linked account. If you do not provide that personal information, you will not be able to submit the application using TradeClear.

Such information collected by the department via TradeClear (including a linked account) is ‘relevant information’, and may be ‘protected information’, as defined in the Export Control Act and the Biosecurity Act. This information will only be used or disclosed in accordance with the Export Control Act and the Biosecurity Act.

For example, your personal information may be disclosed to relevant employees within your business or organisation for the purpose of:

• considering or approving your application, licence or other form
• checking your authority to submit an application, licence or other form
• maintaining the currency of your personal information for these purposes (e.g. for a licence).

Personal information collected in connection with your TradeClear account (or a linked account) may be used to populate a draft application or other form.

The department may also disclose your personal information to another Australian government agency, person or organisation, or to a foreign country's relevant authorities, where it is necessary for its functions and activities in relation to the Export Control Act and the Biosecurity Act. These include:

• exporting goods
• managing Australia's international trade relations
• giving effect to Australia's international obligations.

The department has not taken steps to ensure that the relevant authorities in any importing country do not breach the Australian Privacy Principles. Relevant authorities in the importing country may not be subject to any privacy obligations or to any principles similar to the Australian Privacy Principles.

This means that:

• relevant authorities in the importing country will not be accountable under the Privacy Act
• you may not be able to seek redress under the Privacy Act
• you may not be able to seek redress in the overseas jurisdiction.

Important definitions

'Personal information' is defined in the Privacy Act and means any information or opinion about an identified, or reasonably identifiable, individual. Personal information may include your: 

• name 
• signature 
• address 
• phone number 
• date of birth.  

‘Sensitive information’ is also defined in the Privacy Act as a subset of personal information. It means any information or opinion about an individual’s:

• racial or ethnic origins
• political opinions or associations
• religious beliefs or affiliations
• philosophical beliefs
• sexual preferences or practices
• trade or professional associations and memberships
• union memberships
• criminal record
• health or genetic information
• biometric information or templates.

‘Relevant information’ under the Export Control Act and Biosecurity Act. includes information the department collects in the course of, or for the purposes of, performing functions or duties or exercising powers under the respective Act.

‘Protected information’ under the Export Control Act and the Biosecurity Act is defined in each respective Act.

Further privacy information and contacts

For further information about how to access or correct information that the department holds about you, or to make a privacy complaint, see our privacy policy, opens in a new tab.

Contact our privacy officer if you have questions.

Email: privacy@aff.gov.au.