Update – 19 August 2022
Final import health standard and review of submissions
Following the consultation that closed on 10 June 2022, MPI has released the final Sea Containers from All Countries Import Health Standard along with the review of submissions.
Sea Containers from All Countries Import Health Standard [PDF, 982 KB]
Review of submissions [PDF, 786 KB]
Consultation background
From 9 May to 10 June 2022, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sought feedback on proposed changes to the Sea Containers from All Countries Import Health Standard (IHS).
The proposals included:
- changes to wording, layout, and ordering of the requirements for clarity
- the inclusion of trans-shipping requirements in general biosecurity requirements
- removing the expiration date from the Italian brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) requirements, making them permanent for future BMSB seasons (1 September to 30 April of a given year)
- the inclusion of the sensitive goods list as a schedule.
Full details of the proposed changes are in the consultation documents.
Consultation documents
Draft Import Health Standard: Sea Containers from All Countries [PDF, 1005 KB]
Risk Management Proposal: Amendments to the IHS for Sea Containers from All Countries [PDF, 807 KB]
Updated sea container quarantine declaration [PDF, 474 KB]
Related document
NZL 686 SPS – WTO notification [PDF, 63 KB]
Steps to finalising the new IHS
After consultation on a draft IHS, MPI publishes a provisional IHS.
If you made a submission during the consultation, you have 10 working days to notify the Director-General of MPI that you intend to request an independent review. Reviews are limited to whether specific scientific evidence was given sufficient consideration.
If no review is requested within 10 working days, then the provisional IHS is confirmed and the final IHS is issued.
For more information about reviews, refer to Section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 – NZ Legislation
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.
