FAQs related to Biosecurity Costs Regulations and Levy Orders Review Project

Biosecurity Costs Regulations 2006 set charges for the inspection of unaccompanied baggage or personal effects at $100 per hour for each general inspector involved. However, a waiver was granted at the request of International Movers Associations that the biosecurity inspection of personal effects is charged according to a voluntary schedule detailed below:

If a container is identified as high risk MAFBNZ requires your agent to contact us immediately.

MAFBNZ will then undertake the inspection (generally an external inspection if it is being done on the wharf) as quickly as possible. In certain circumstances, the external inspections may be carried out at your transitional facility under MAFBNZ supervision. Internal inspections of high risk containers also need to be arranged by your agent. Instructions are outlined on the Biosecurity Authority Clearance Certificate, a copy should be forwarded to you by the agent.

While MAFBNZ will conduct inspections as soon as possible there are occasions when, because of other workloads, it might take us a few days to get to your container.

Yes, you can arrange for a facility to unload the container for you. List of facilities .

Alternatively, if the facility is approved but there is currently no Accredited Person on-site, you may use another Accredited Person. List of Accredited Persons and Expiry Dates.

Data from the BACC Application form and electronic / scanned copies of supporting documentation will be sent electronically via ECN to MAFBNZ.

A levy of $20 per loaded container and $10 per empty container applies to all containers cover the monitoring and verification of shipping containers.

If a container is considered high risk or is non-compliant any additional work undertaken by MAFBNZ will be charged for. MAFBNZ inspections on and off wharf are charged at a rate of $100.00 per hour (1/4 hour minimum) and we also charge for travel to the inspection site.

All sea containers arriving in New Zealand must be accompanied by a Quarantine Declaration.

This must be filled in by the exporter before the container leaves the country of origin. If containers do not have a Quarantine Declaration they will be considered high risk and may be subject to delays and additional inspection and treatment costs.

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.

A course will cost approximately $150 per person. This should be confirmed with individual training providers.

• List of accredited person training providers

The approved operator must be able to retrieve, at the request of a MAFBNZ Inspector, records (for 2 years) covering:

• All imported sea containers brought into the facility, including all of the following information where relevant to the particular containers or goods received:
  • date of arrival at the facility
  • container number
  • ship & voyage number
  • product and quantity unpacked
  • country of export
  • date of container devanning
  • confirmation that internal and external checks were conducted
  • name of the accredited person(s) who undertook the above checks
  • record of contaminants found and whether MAFBNZ was notified
  • any remedial action taken
• Operational procedures to ensure the requirements of all relevant MAFBNZ standards are followed.
• A copy of the transitional facility approval certificate.
• A copy of the operator's approval certificate.
• A list of accredited persons available to conduct container checks.
• A copy of the current standard (Requirements of Transitional Facilities for Sea Containers Standard).
• A copy of the current Import Health Standard for Sea Containers From all Countries.

Charges apply for the initial and ongoing audit of facilities. The charge is made up of administrative, on-site inspection and travel expenses. All MAFBNZ charges, except travel, will be recovered on an hourly basis.

In general registration and approval will cost about $200-$300. Please note this will vary according to the proposed facility location, sites with additional requirements, and how long our Inspectors require to conduct the audit.

To receive sea containers to your premises you must apply for your premises to become a MAFBNZ approved Transitional Facility for sea containers.

There is an Import Health Standard (IHS) for importing sea containers. This standard describes the conditions that need to be met by sea containers imported into New Zealand.

If you find something in or on a container (including cargo or wood packaging) immediately call 0800 80 99 66; be sure to note this on your log sheet.

You must complete and fax to MAFBNZ a Notice of Change to Destination Transitional Facility for Sea Containers (184 KB) form. For more information see Mandatory Declaration of the ATF Code and the ESCRIP Process (64 KB).

If the BACC Authority/Custom Delivery Order for your container is "To be opened by a Nominated Accredited Person" you may open your container. You will need to wait to submit your log sheet electronically or by fax until your number comes through.

If you have not received your number or certificate six weeks after sitting your course, please contact your Training Provider or MAFBNZ (Nicola Olson) on 07 927 5712.

No, containers should not be opened without confirmation the container has been cleared by MAFBNZ.

You should have received a Customs Delivery Order (CDO) and/or Biosecurity Authority Clearance Certificate (BACC) from your broker/agent. You will need to refer to the CDO under the "Delivery Instructions" that "MAF clearance has been given to move from wharf to ATF (approved transitional facility)". If any other MAF message appears in this section (e.g. "MAF HOLD"), then you will need to refer to the BACC for further instructions.

Unless MAFBNZ has stated otherwise, once the Accredited Person has completed their container check, without finding any contamination that would need to be immediately reported, then you may let your container go.

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.

After the release of its discussion paper Border Clearance Costs and Organism Identification Requirements in April 2006, MAF found that it needed to make modifications to some of its proposals outlined in that discussion paper in light of the consultation feedback received and changes in trade volumes and some costs. The reasons for this were:

• The volume of used vehicles, containers and general cargo had fallen further than anticipated;
• The Office of the Auditor- General had released its report on Managing biosecurity risks associated with high-risk sea containers recommending that MAF undertake additional work on containers;
• Some further costs had been identified.

Consequently, the shipping container levy was increased to enable more work to be undertaken on sea containers and the biosecurity risk screening levy was increased to fund more risk profiling effort and systems development as recommended by the Office of the Auditor-General report and further internal work. The hourly inspection rate was also increased slightly to ensure sustainability of the fees for the next 3 years.

The new charges under the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 become effective from 7 September 2006. Imported goods that land in New Zealand and require biosecurity clearance from 7 September onwards will be charged the fees contained in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006.

Importers will be able to pay in cash for fees incurred under the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006.

A charge for waiting time will be applied in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006. This is payable at the applicable hourly rate for a MAF inspector or veterinary inspector for the time each inspector spends in waiting for the goods to become available.

Those being charged can minimise charges by ensuring compliance with the required standards and thus avoid additional inspections. Importers/transitional facilities can minimise charges by ensuring that risk goods are available for inspection at the time that has been booked, and that labour is provided for unpacking and repacking goods. Transitional facilities also need to be kept to the required standard.

Organism identification is costly work and the fees in the 2003 Regulations charged by the MAF Investigation and Diagnostic Centres (IDCs) did not reflect the true cost of the organism identification work. The fees for the identification of organisms provided by MAF IDCs are not set by the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 but are contestable and subject to market forces. Where MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance Service inspectors undertake an organism identification, this would be charged at $100 per hour.

MAFBNZ will apply the following organism identification charging policy for the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006:

• Organism identification required for risk profiling and other information gathering making purposes will be funded by the Crown;
• Importers will be required to pay for organism identification only where it is required to determine whether goods can be cleared for entry into New Zealand. The organism identification charge will be applied to all organisms, ie, regulated and non-regulated.

Travel zones fees have been introduced to ensure consistency nation-wide and to provide transparency for such fees. There are four zones. Each zone has been calculated to account for a return trip from the base site. MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance Service has developed zone maps for each key location:

• Zone 1: $45 0-10 km radius
• Zone 2: $70 11-25 km
• Zone 3: $140 26-50 km
• Zone 4: $200 51-75km

Travel over 75 km is charged on the hourly rate of the inspector for the time that he or she has spent away from base, plus actual and reasonable costs. A zone fee will be applied for each visit. Where more than one inspection is undertaken during the same visit, the zone fee will be shared. If a subsequent re-inspection is required, then an extra zone fee will apply.

MAF anticipates that the new charges will stay in force for at least 3 years. The biosecurity risk screening levy, the shipping container levy and used vehicle inspection fees in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2006 are subject to memorandum accounting. Memorandum accounting means that if for example, trade volumes were to increase and MAF was to earn more funds than needed, excess funds can be carried forward to cover costs for the following year.

The biosecurity risk screening levy 2006 will not come into effect until 1 October 2006 in order to align with New Zealand Customs Service's monthly billing cycle to importers. In the intervening period, the import documentation fee of $28.70 (GST inclusive) will apply.