In 2019 the Australian Government announced it was stepping up its commitment to the Pacific by launching the Kava Pilot Program, allowing for the commercial importation of kava into Australia. As part of Phase 2 of the pilot, the commercial importation of kava as a food will begin from December 2021, and run until the end of 2023.

During this time there will be a monitoring and evaluation committee assessing the impact of kava in the Australian community. The pilot involves the easing of import regulations for kava related products. This will increase trade opportunities for Fijian kava exporters to the Australian market.

For further information on the steps required by both kava exporters and importers into the Australian market, please find a one page update here.