Australia MSA 2018
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
Topic : Human rights · Level : National
Today
In force. 16 Jul 2026: failure-to-prevent offence and civil penalties announced; AGD consultation closed 25 Sep 2026; no bill yet.
Summary
Entities with A$100m+ revenue in Australia file an annual statement on human-rights risks in their operations and supply chains. There are no fines yet; in July 2026 the government announced civil penalties and a new offence, under consultation.
Who is concerned
- Turnover
- Consolidated revenue ≥A$100m
- Employees
- non précisé
- Listed company
- cotées et non cotées
- Sectors
- All sectors
- Triggering activities
- AU entity or carrying on business in AU
- Annual consolidated revenue ≥A$100m
- Extraterritorial reach
- Yes
Covers forced labour risks in global supply chains; foreign suppliers asked for audits, policies and traceability.
- Examples
- Australian retailer sourcing apparel from China
- Solar installer buying Chinese panels
- Foreign group with AU subsidiary >A$100m
What the law requires
- Lodge an annual statement within 6 months of year end
- Describe structure, operations and supply chains
- Describe risks and actions taken, with effectiveness
- Have the statement approved by the board
Penalties
No fines today; Minister may name non-compliers. Proposed: civil penalties and offence, amounts not set (up to 10% of turnover floated).
What this changes for a supplier in China
Australian buyers push forced-labour due diligence onto Chinese suppliers (solar, textiles, electronics). Proposed offence will increase audit and traceability demands.
Expected evidence
- Supplier code of conduct signed
- Social audit report (e.g. SMETA, amfori BSCI)
- Raw material traceability to origin
Tiers : Tier 1-N