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A new import health standard for importing fresh cut flowers and foliage for decorative purposes

UPDATES

6 November 2025 – Final import health standard published

Following this consultation, we've published the final import health standard for importing fresh cut flowers and foliage for decorative purposes. To ensure uninterrupted trade during the current import season, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has determined that cut flower and foliage consignments from specific countries certified under previous cut flower and foliage standards can receive clearance at the New Zealand border for 12 months from the issuing date (5 November 2025).

Fresh Cut Flowers and Foliage for Decorative Purposes 2025 – Import Health Standard [PDF, 574 KB]

Guidance on clearance at the New Zealand border will be published soon.

Review of submissions

We’ve also released the review of submissions.

2025 Review of submissions: Cut flower and foliage for decorative purposes IHS [PDF, 13 MB]

19 February 2025 – Consultation extended

We further extended the consultation period. The new closing time and date was 5pm on 7 March 2025.

24 January 2025 – Additional online information session

We had an additional session to discuss the proposed IHS, hear your thoughts on the risk management proposal, and answer questions.

18 December 2024 – Consultation extended

We extended the consultation period. The new closing time and date was 5pm on 28 February 2025.

3 December 2024 – Online information sessions

We organised sessions to meet with you to discuss the proposed IHS, hear your thoughts on the risk management proposal, and answer questions.

27 November 2024 – Draft IHS minor omissions corrected

The Draft IHS was updated to fix these omissions:

Thailand was omitted as an approved country in the Dracaena and Oncidium commodity schedules.
Some of the Pest Plants from table 6 of the RMP were omitted from the commodity schedules of the draft IHS.

See the consultation documents

Background to this consultation

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) proposed a new Import Health Standard: Fresh Cut Flowers and Foliage for Decorative Purposes.

The new standard replaced these 3 existing import health standards for cut flowers and foliage:

Cut Flowers and Foliage
Cut Flowers and Branches Cordyline and Dracaena Species from All Countries
Oncidium Cut Flowers.

All 3 standards were frequently used to enable imports but have not been updated for several years. We needed to review the biosecurity risks of importing cut flowers and foliage to ensure these risks are still being effectively managed.

We also wanted to fulfil requests to add new countries and new genera of cut flowers and foliage. This involved assessing the biosecurity risks and identifying suitable ways to manage them.

Consultation closed on 7 March 2025.

Consultation documents

Draft IHS for Fresh Cut Flowers and Foliage for Decorative Purposes [PDF, 890 KB]

RMP for Fresh Cut Flowers and Foliage for Decorative Purposes [PDF, 755 KB]

Next steps

After we have considered all submissions, there is a 10-day period that provides submitters with the opportunity to examine any changes to the IHS that have resulted from consultation. An independent review (under section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993) may be requested in this period if a submitter considers scientific evidence they raised during their submission has not received sufficient consideration. If there is no review, the IHS becomes final after 10 days.

Find out how we develop and change import health standards

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Legal background

MPI must consult with interested parties in accordance with section 23 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act) and MPI's consultation policy before issuing or amending (other than of minor or urgent nature) import health standards (IHS) under sections 24A and 24B of the Act.

An IHS specifies import requirements that must be met either in the country of origin or of export, or during transit, before biosecurity clearance can be given for the goods to enter New Zealand. MPI must ensure that these requirements are technically justified and provide an appropriate level of biosecurity protection.