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Export requirements for live animals microchipping

UPDATE – 31 May 2019

Final notice issued

Animal Products Notice: Export Requirements for Live Animals Microchipping [PDF, 431 KB]

Consultation background

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) consulted on a single improvement to live animal export regulations under the Animal Products Act. The proposed update to the regulations will make it mandatory for all live horses to be microchipped prior to export. The consultation ran from 8 April to 6 May 2019.

What was proposed?

MPI proposed to replace the current Animal Products (Export Requirements – Cats and Dogs) Notice 2012 with the updated Animal Products (Export Requirements for Live Animals Microchipping) 2019. The major changes from the previous notice included:

  • incorporating live horses into the scope of animals requiring microchipping prior to the issuing of an official assurance (Export Certificate)
  • requiring the exporter to retain the microchip information and have it readily available to reference for verification and certification purposes.

Full details were in the consultation documents.

Consultation documents

Legal Notice: Export Requirements for Live Animal Microchipping [PDF, 441 KB]

Consultation Document: Proposed amendments relating to live animal export microchipping [PDF, 365 KB]

Submissions closed at 5pm on 6 May 2019.

Submissions are public information

Note, that any submission you make becomes public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we have to make submissions available unless we have good reasons for withholding them.  That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.

Animal Products Notice: Export Requirements for Live Animals Microchipping