UPDATE – 12 DECEMBER 2019
Final IHS
The final import health standard (IHS) was issued 12 December 2019.
Zoo Primates - Import Health Standard [PDF, 648 KB]
Zoo Primates - Risk management proposal [PDF, 551 KB]
Consultation background
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invited comments on proposed changes to the Import Health Standard (IHS) for primates from Australia, Canada, the European Union, USA, and Singapore.
Full details of the proposed changes were in the consultation documents.
The consultation ran from 23 October to 12 November 2019.
Consultation documents
- Zoo primates draft import health standard [PDF, 759 KB]
- Risk management proposal [PDF, 545 KB]
Related document
- WTO notification [PDF, 186 KB]
Steps to finalising the new IHS
After consultation on a draft import health standard, MPI publishes a provisional IHS.
If you made a submission during the consultation, you have 10 working days to notify the director-general of MPI that you intend to request an independent review. Reviews are limited to whether or not specific scientific evidence was given sufficient consideration.
If no review is requested within 10 working days, then the provisional IHS is confirmed and issued as a standard.
For more information about reviews refer to:
Section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 – NZ Legislation
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 a good reason for withholding it. 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.
Legal background
MPI must consult with interested parties in accordance with section 23 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act) and MPI's consultation policy before issuing or amending (other than of minor or urgent nature) import health standards (IHS) under sections 24A and 24B of the Act.
An IHS specifies import requirements that must be met either in the country of origin or of export, or during transit before biosecurity clearance can be given for the goods to enter New Zealand. MPI must ensure that these requirements are technically justified and provide an appropriate level of biosecurity protection.
