Treatment Providers

Trial for imports from Malaysia -Malaysian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (MFAS)

As you may recall Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has sought input from you, as stakeholders (importers, exporters and treatment suppliers) to assess the impact of adopting Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (currently adopted by 80% of New Zealand's trading partners) as a preborder, border and export fumigation system.

After reviewing the system requirements and feedback from various stakeholders the decision has been made by MPI to work through the process of implementing AFAS.

What will this mean for importers of risk goods requiring treatment?

Those importing product from Malaysia are advised to use treatment suppliers certified under the Malaysian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (MFAS). This can be done by checking the DAFF website . Malaysian Treatment Suppliers rated as 'acceptable' would provide treatment equivalent to a New Zealand treatment. Where the treatment supplier status changes (from acceptable to a non-acceptable status) there is no allowance for goods in transit.

Copies ( electronically in PDF or as a copy) of a treatment certificate from an 'Acceptable' fumigator will be accepted by MPI for the trial period 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2012 where previously only originals were accepted.

Report of Malaysian Trial (Feb 2013)

To date the utilisation of approved treatment suppliers in Malaysia has improved with non-compliant fumigations dropping from 56% to 24%. We would strongly encourage importers to utilise registered treatment suppliers in Malaysia by checking the AQIS website to confirm your treatment providers status. In the future (when New Zealand undertakes full implementation of AFAS) importers may incur additional costs at the border where non-registered treatment suppliers have provided the treatment of an exported good.   

To keep up to date with such changes visit http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/regs/trans/treat or contact Jo-Anne.Stokes@mpi.govt.nz.