FAQs related to Protocol for Testing Imported Medicago sativa (lucerne, alfalfa) Seed for the Presence of Unapproved Genetically Modified Seed

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

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.

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.

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.

You should lodge your container information and quarantine declaration with MAF prior to the vessel arriving in New Zealand. This is to allow the necessary risk analysis to be done on your container before arrival, to minimize delays in New Zealand. To lodge the information electronically prior to making your import entry, you should use the dedicated Customs ECI report option (see Question 5). You will either receive a message back allowing your container to be taken to a MAF-approved transitional facility (see Question 6) or a message requiring you to contact MAF to make arrangements for a container inspection (see Questions 7, 8, 11). You may also make a manual application to MAF if you prefer.

At some ports with documented, MAF-approved equivalent biosecurity systems in place, otherwise low-risk containers may be transported from the wharf to an inland facility prior to presentation of the quarantine declaration. But you should still plan to lodge all information with MAF as early as possible, to avoid delays between unloading and transport from the wharf.

You should lodge your container information, including the quarantine declaration, with MAF prior to the vessel arriving in New Zealand. This is to allow the necessary risk analysis to be done on your container before arrival, to minimize delays in New Zealand. If you plan to lodge your Customs import entry late (e.g. after arrival of the vessel), you must still lodge details of the container with MAF (use the dedicated Customs ECI report, or make a manual application) before it is moved from the wharf.

At some ports with documented, MAF-approved equivalent biosecurity systems in place, otherwise low-risk containers may be transported from the wharf to an inland facility prior to presentation of the quarantine declaration. But you should still plan to lodge all information with MAF as early as possible, to avoid delays between unloading and transport from the wharf.

A small proportion of containers will be selected for an audit on a random basis. Such containers will be identified by the words "MAF AUDIT" in the message you receive from Customs. Fax a copy of the container Quarantine Declaration to your local MAF office immediately, but in all cases within 12 hours of receiving this message. Many audit containers will also require external and internal inspection by MAF as part of the audit. You should contact your local MAF office with an Application for a BACC accompanied by consignment information (Bill of Lading and invoice), ideally when you fax your container Quarantine Declaration, to make arrangements for inspection. You should have your Customs Client Reference number or ECI number on your application so MAF can look up your container. Once these arrangements have been made, and any external requirements taken care of, MAF will issue a BACC allowing your container to move to an approved transitional facility.

Your container has goods that require MAF clearance. Contact your local MAF office with an Application for a BACC and appropriate documentation for the goods in your container. You should have your Customs Client Reference number or ECI number on your application so MAF can look up your container. MAF will advise whether the goods require an inspection. Confirm the transitional facility to which the goods will go. MAF will issue a BACC allowing your container and goods to move off the wharf.