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Changes to the Biosecurity System Entry Levy and other services charged to importers for clearing cargo

UPDATE – JUNE 2023

The Government has agreed to increase the Biosecurity System Entry Levy to $46.40 and to set a new maximum rate of $50.00. The maximum rate is the highest amount the Director-General of MPI can set the levy without further Cabinet decisions.

The Government has also agreed to increase the hourly rate for biosecurity fees to $155.50 per hour.

The new levy and fees will take effect on 1 July 2023.

Gazetted notice – NZ Gazette

Levy changes regulations – NZ Legislation

Reset fees – NZ Legislation

Consultation background

Biosecurity New Zealand consulted on updated biosecurity pricing for imported goods to better reflect the cost of providing these services. 

The proposed price adjustment will help expedite import border clearance processes and has been developed in accordance with MPI’s policies for pricing regulated cost services:

  • Biosecurity System Entry Levy on goods consignments valued over $1,000 from $23 to $46.40
  • hourly rate for biosecurity services when required, from a base hourly rate of $102.27 per hour to $155.50 per hour.

We wanted to make a few minor adjustments to some other related fees, for example, resetting a number of fixed fees for travel.

Consultation closed on 10 February 2023.

Discussion document

Proposed changes to cargo biosecurity cost recovery settings [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Related information

Approval to Consult on Proposed Changes to Cargo Biosecurity Cost Recovery Rates – Cabinet paper [PDF, 326 KB]

Proposed Changes to Cargo Biosecurity Cost Recovery Rates: Release of Consultation Document – Minute (DEV-22-MIN-0313) [PDF, 138 KB]

Biosecurity (System Entry Levy) Order 2010 – NZ Legislation

Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2010 – NZ Legislation

What was proposed?

The document includes 2 main proposals – increasing the levy and increasing the hourly rate charged for biosecurity services.

Increase to the levy

We proposed increasing the levy from $23 to $46.40, with the component for the Joint Border Management System remaining at $5.12.

The levy funds a suite of core services that maintain the biosecurity system. The range of funded services outlined in the regulation remain unchanged but some costs are to increase the service quality.

Since the levy was last adjusted on 1 July 2019, Biosecurity New Zealand has required additional staff training, capability, and technology to best manage risk at the border. The proposed increase to the levy will ensure that the costs of providing biosecurity services in the cargo pathway are fully recovered.

The proposal also gives the Director General the option to increase the BSEL an additional $3.60 over time if the proposed increase doesn’t meet anticipated annual biosecurity costs.  

These increases are GST exclusive.  

Increase to the hourly rate and other fee adjustments

We proposed increasing the hourly rate for biosecurity services from $102.27 per hour to $155.50 per hour, along with a few minor fee changes to improve standardisation.

  • Services set at a fee rate are for activities provided directly to individual importers, or import facilities.
  • The hourly rate is a variable fee where the price charged for services matches the proportional increase. Biosecurity New Zealand proposes increasing this rate to align with the changes to the operating environment in the cargo pathway since it was last updated in 2015.
  • In addition, some fees are set in a non-standard manner. We propose a few minor adjustments to these to increase administrative and economic efficiency. A full list of the services and fees this applies to can be found in Appendix 2 of the discussion document.

These increases are GST exclusive.  

It is proposed that cost reviews are viewed over a four-year period instead of annually. This aligns biosecurity cargo cost recovery with other regulated cost recovery policies and will allow for pricing stability for importers.  

Submissions are public information

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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