FAQs related to Importing Salt and Freshwater Organisms
A wide range of goods can be imported into New Zealand. Certain goods will have to meet specific import conditions before clearance.
To check if you can import a particular item you will need to refer to the relevant Import Health Standard.
Under the Biosecurity Act 1993, decisions on issuing import health standards are the responsibility of the Director-General of MAF, on the recommendation of a Chief Technical Officer from Biosecurity New Zealand. Biosecurity New Zealand is the part of MAF that administers the Biosecurity Act.
Internationally wood packaging is recognized as an important pathway in the transmission of pests. A significant proportion of wood packaging is manufactured from relatively low quality raw wood which is likely to contain pests.
Many invasive pests have been intercepted on wood dunnage, pallets, crating or other wood packaging imported into New Zealand.
Most international exporters will be aware of, if not already complying with, the ISPM 15 standard so explaination of the New Zealand standard should not be too difficult.
We recommend e-mailing the link to the full standard to all your suppliers for them to review.
There are a number of different pest that could be found on untreated wood packaging. Some examples are:
- Powder post beetle
- Asian longhorn beetle
- Citrus longhorn beetle
- Subterranean termite
Even if wood packaging is treated accredited persons should still watch out for other pests and diseases that might be in their consignment. Re-infestation of treated wood packaging is also possible.
Wood packaging material includes items such as dunnage, crates, fillets, spacers, pallets, drums, and reels. Peeler cores are exempt from the international standard ISPM 15, but are included in the New Zealand standard when used for packaging.
Packaging that is made from manufactured wood, such as plywood, oriented strand board, fibre-board, paper and cardboard packaging or those made from non-wood articles and thin wood (considered to be 6mm thickness or less) are exempt.
Wood packaging material such as sawdust, wood wool, and shavings, are regulated according to the Import Health Standard for Sawdust, Wood Chips, Wood Shavings, and Wood Wool from All Countries.
Wine barrels and animal crates used for the transportation of live animals are regulated by the
In March 2002, the FAO Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures adopted new guidelines for wood packaging for international trade. These were called the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No 15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade (ISPM 15).
ISPM 15 describes phytosanitary measures to reduce the risk of introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests associated with wood packaging material (including dunnage), made of coniferous and non-coniferous raw wood, for international trade.
New Zealand, as a signatory to the International Plant Protection Convention, has revised its own wood packaging import standard to more closely align it with this international standard.
Acceptable methods of treatment are available in Appendix 1 and Appendix 3 of the import health standard for wood packaging material.
Methyl bromide is an ozone depleting substance and its use is not encouraged when alternatives are available. Methyl bromide use as a quarantine treatment is exempt from the consumption controls under the Montreal Protocol. It is not known how long this exemption will remain in place.
Yes. These items are not regulated under the wood packaging standard, but regulated under the Import Health Standard for Woodware
The International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging in International Trade 
encourages countries to adopt similar import measures to reduce the incidence of unwanted exotic pests moving to new areas. Several countries have decided to adopt this International Standard as import measures and many other countries have given notice that they, too, intend to adopt the recommendations of ISPM 15
As an exporter, you will need to meet the importing country's requirements. Requirements for the export of certified wood packaging are provided in the export phytosanitary requirements for other countries.
Wood packaging returning to New Zealand must meet the requirements of the New Zealand import health standard as it could have been infested whilst offshore with exotic pests.
Yes it does change their role. Accredited persons should still be inspecting all wood packaging for pest such as insects and fungi but they must also record the ISPM 15 compliance status of the wood packaging on their container log sheets.
We recommend that non-compliant wood packaging be treated or destroyed.
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM’s) are adopted by contracting parties to the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) , and by FAO Members that are not contracting parties, through the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures. ISPM’s are the standards, guidelines and recommendations recognized as the basis for phytosanitary measures applied by Members of the World Trade Organization under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. ISPM 15 is the international guideline for regulating wood packaging material in international trade.
You can contact the National Programme Manager
No. Wood packaging must be compliant with New Zealand's import requirements.
To provide sufficient time for countries to develop certification programs for wood packaging materials, New Zealand is implementing a staggered enforcement plan.
After 1 July 2006 if any untreated packaging is found it will be treated, re-shipped or destroyed. Costs for these actions will be borne by the importer.
Yes. If you have untreated wood packaging in your consignment after 1 July 2006 you will have to treat, reship or destroy it. The costs of this will be borne by the importer.
To be compliant wood packaging must be:
- Treated (with rates specified in appendix 1 and 3 of the import health standard) using the following methods:
- Heat treatment
- Fumigated with methyl bromide
- Fumigated with phosphine
- Chemical preservation using:
- Boron compounds
- Copper + didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride
- Copper azole
- Copper chrome arsenic
- Propiconaole and Tebuconazole
- Wood packaging treated to ISPM 15 standard should be marked with the following:
XX = Two letter code for country in which wood packaging was produced
000 = Official certification number for facility that produced the wood packaging
YY = Treatment that the wood packaging has been given
This mark can only be given to wood packaging by an approved provider from the country of origin
- Wood packaging that is not marked with the above stamp must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with the treatment detailed in the treatment section or a NPPO endorsed treatment certificate.
- Free from pests
- Free of extraneous material (e.g. leaves, soil)
- Free of all bark
Between 1 May and 30 June 2006 MAF Quarantine Service will be placing tags on any non-compliant wood packaging. The tags will help you identify which of your suppliers are not meeting the standard and allow you time to discuss with them before 1 July 2006.
After 1 July 2006 all wood packaging treated to ISPM 15 standard should be marked with the symbol below or accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with the treatment detailed in the Treatment Section or a NPPO-endorsed treatment certificate.
XX = Two letter code for country in which wood packaging was produced
000 = Official certification number for facility that produced the wood packaging
YY = Treatment that the wood packaging has been given
If your wood packaging does not have either of these you must note it on your container log sheet and advise your supplier of the non-compliance.
We recommend that you destroy or treat any non-compliant wood packaging received.
Wood packaging material contaminated with bark shall have the bark removed (if possible) or treated, reshipped or destroyed.
The importer must pay for these.
The importer will be given a choice of treatment, reshipment or destruction of any non-compliant wood packaging. The final decision will rest with MAF.
It is anticipated that the requirements will be in place on 1 May 2006 but there will be a grace period for enforcement will be staged between May and June
Between 1 May and 30 June 2006:
- Consignments will be risk profiled and a subset of these will be selected for inspection.
- Any wood packaging found to have pests will be treated, reshipped or destroyed.
- Wood packaging that is non-compliant will be tagged with an advisory notice to the importer.
From 1 July 2006:
- Wood packaging must comply with the import requirements.
- Consignments will be risk profiled and a subset of these will be selected for inspection.
- Any non-compliant wood will be treated, reshipped or destroyed.
- A notice will be sent to the importer about any non-compliant wood packaging.
Information from the non-compliances will be used to feedback into the risk profiling system. This means that importers who develop a history of non-compliance will be selected for inspection more often.
- Consignments will be risk profiled and a subset of these will be selected for inspection.
- Consignment documentation will be checked on arrival if your consignment is selected by the risk profile.
- If the wood packaging is not accompanied by the proper certification or marked appropriately it will be considered untreated.
- Consignments that contain untreated wood packaging material will be treated, reshipped or destroyed.
- Consignments that contain treated wood packaging material may be inspected to verify that the treatment was effective.
- Consignments that contain treated wood packaging material declared as compliant may be inspected to verify that the wood is marked appropriately.
Customs will collect the new levy on behalf of MAF, using existing systems and reducing duplication of government resources.
The biosecurity risk screening levy will be applied to all goods that attract Customs' import entry transaction fee. The import entry transaction fee is charged on commercial imports with duty and/or GST liability of $50 or more, and on private imports of good with a value of $1,000 or more and a duty and/or GST liability of $50 or more.
The biosecurity risk screening levy will be collected by Customs and billed on the same invoice sent to importers for the import entry transaction fee, duty and GST.
Payment conditions for the levy will be the same as for the import entry transaction fee. Levies invoiced in a given month will be payable in the following month under Customs' normal terms of business with each levy payer. Alternatively, for cash payments, goods will not be released until the levy is paid.
This levy is part of a whole-of-government response to border management, which will result in more effective goods clearance at the border. It is a fairer, more consistent charge on importers and is significantly lower than the previous charge of $28.70 (GST inclusive) on identified risk goods.
Automated risk assessment of all import documentation will fund biosecurity screening for goods coming into New Zealand. It will also reduce MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance's administrative tasks, thus freeing up extra inspection capability without additional cost to industry.
Using Customs' existing systems to collect the levy will help reduce compliance costs to importers by providing one invoice statement from two government agencies.
MAF is improving procedures for assessing imported goods for biosecurity risk. Under the 2003 Regulations, risk assessment on import documentation is performed manually and MAF recovers the cost through an import documentation fee. This fee has been applied to risk goods only, but all imported goods need to be assessed for risk.
MAF screens all imported goods for the risk they pose to New Zealand. The biosecurity risk screening levy 2006 will be a new cost to importers who have previously not been charged the import documentation fee. Import entries identified as non- risk goods (such as shrink wrapped television sets) will be given a biosecurity clearance with no delay and no further cost beyond the biosecurity risk screening levy. Imported goods considered to be a risk will be identified for further consideration by MAF.
The Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2003 have been in place since May 2003 and charges have not been amended since then. The new charges reflect current costs and changes in MAF’s operations. In its provision of cargo clearance services, MAF needs to:
- Ensure that any changes in practices required at the border are adequately cost recovered;
- Avoid under and over recovery of costs over time;
- Ensure charges remain fair and equitable.
The key changes are:
- An increase in the MAF hourly rate inspection charge to $100 per hour;
- A new method of charging to recover costs relating to the primary screening of import documentation; a biosecurity risk screening levy of $3.38 will be charged on all imported goods that attract New Zealand Customs Service's import entry transaction fee. The biosecurity risk screening levy replaces the current inspection of import documentation fee from 1 October 2006. The levy will be collected by Customs on behalf of MAF.
- A new method of charging to pay for sea container clearance system costs and the increased monitoring and verification activities required by the revised import health standard for sea containers; A levy will be charged on all imported sea containers of $16 for full sea containers and $7 for empty containers.
- The number of categories of inspection charges for used vehicles has been reduced from 15 to four and the fee structure has been simplified. Inspection and re-inspection of used vehicles will be charged at the same rates.