NEW ZEALAND

Capital: Wellington
Population:  4,213,000
Currency: New Zealand dollar
Official Language(s): English, Maori

I. CHEMICAL MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS (MRLs)  

    Please click on the above link for a list of chemical MRLs.

II. CHEMICALS AND ADDITIVE INFORMATION

    A. Chemical residue standards:

MRL policies related to imported food products are being reviewed by the government of New Zealand.

New Zealand utilizes Codex MRL standards when testing imports.  If detected residue levels are found to be higher than the Codex standard or the food product/residue combination is not listed by Codex, New Zealand applies its domestic MRL standard.  If not identified in New Zealand's domestic MRL standard, a default standard of 0.1 mg/kg may be applied to the imported food product.  Imported food products that breach the New Zealand domestic MRL or default standard cannot be legally sold in New Zealand.  They are subject to an assessment by New Zealand on a case-by-case basis to determine whether any regulatory action is required.  Regulatory action could range from notifying the importer of non-compliance to product recall if an unacceptable public health risk is identified.

Please click on the following link for additional information:  New Zealand MRL information.

    B. Monitoring chemical residues:

      Fruit is tested for chemical residues. Market basket surveys include domestic and imported fruit.

    C. Restrictions on use of waxes:

      There is a restriction on waxes. 3,000 ppm bland wax coatings of ineral and vegetable origin on apples, citrus, cucumbers and potatoes.

III. ORGANIC FRUIT REGULATIONS

New Zealand does not have an official standard for organic food products.  New Zealand allows product certified under USDA's National Organic Program to be imported and sold in country as organic.

IV. TARIFFS

    Apples, pears and cherries are allowed entry into New Zealand duty free.

V. NON-TARIFF BARRIERS

    A. Labeling requirements:

    Fresh fruit imports are required to be labeled with the country of origin, the importer and exporter, and a code that relates to the individual shipment, i.e., lot identification, and date packed.  Nutritional labeling is not required for fresh fruits.  However, if such a label is provided it must conform to New Zealand''s law as the U.S. style nutrition panel is not acceptable for the New Zealand market.  For more information on labeling requirements, visit the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code website.

    B. Licenses and quotas:

      None. 

    C. Currency Issues:

      None. 

    D. Pest and plant disease restrictions:

      See the MAF website.

      Apples: Phytosanitary certificate (PC) is required.  Apples are only approved from California and Washington.  The fruit must be in clean packages.  New Zealand requires that apples be from an area free of or to have undergone treatment for plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar), hawthorne rust (Gymnosporangium clavipes) and winter moth (Operophtera brumata).  Plum curculio does not occur in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.  However, hawthorne rust and winter moth have been reported to occur in this area, although no records exist of these attacking commercially managed orchards.  In order to approve shipments of apples to New Zealand, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) requires that packers: 1) provide spray records for the fruit lot which show that the orchard was treated with insecticides and fungicides which control these pests.  This requirement has been interpreted to mean that if the orchard is treated for control of leafrollers and powdery mildew, the quarantine pests will also have been controlled; and 2) file an affidavit form (available from WSDA) attesting to the use of appropriate pest control activities for these two pests.  Additional Declarations (AD) are required on the PC.

      Pears: A PC is required. Additional declarations (AD) required on the phytosanitary certificate are different from those required for apples and cherries and specific ADs are required for fruit from each state. The required ADs can be found in the USDA Animal and Plant Health Service Export Certification Database (EXCERPT). All Northwest producers should be able to meet these requirements. Asian pear fruit is prohibited for export to New Zealand.

      Cherries:  Effective July 4, 2005 sweet cherries from the Pacific Northwest were granted access to New Zealand.  Sweet cherries exported to New Zealand must be fumigated with methyl bromide for the possible presence of cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis spp.) or apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella) larvae.  The fumigation schedule required matches that used for Japan, Korea and Australia.  For more information, contact your local state department of agriculture commodity inspection representative.

E.  Solid Wood Packing Material (SWPM) Regulations:

F.  Other Barriers:

      Import Health Standard for Sea and Air Containers:
      Both sea and air containers must meet New Zealand's import health standards, which basically guarantee a minimum standard of cleanliness.

      All imported sea cargo containers must have documentation listing:  container number, the origin where the container will filled, the port at which the container was first loaded on board a vessel for shipment to New Zealand, exporter, importer, a complete description of contents, a quarantine declaration and treatment certification, if applicable.

      For detailed information on Import Health Standards for Sea and Air Containers, visit the following web sites:

      1.  Import Health Standard for Sea Containers
      2.  Import Health Standard for Air Containers

VI. SUBSIDIES

Generally, there is no assistance from the government to apple, pear, stone fruit or cherry orchardists. 

VII.  MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST TREE FRUIT INDUSTRY

Northwest Cherry Growers/Washington State Fruit Commission:

John Baker
Produce Marketing Australia
Voice:  011-612-9642-1555
Fax:     011-612-9642-1544
E-mail:  john@producemarketing.com.au

Pear Bureau Northwest

Lisa Cork
The Marketing Department
Auckland, New Zealand
Voice:  011 64 9815-5944
Fax:      011 64 9815-5044
E-mail:  lisa@freshproducemarketing.com 

VII.  OTHER RESOURCE LINKS:

Governmental

U.S.

New Zealand

VIII. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

    Special thanks to
    FAS Field Office - New Zealand 

105 South 18th Street, Suite 105
Yakima, Washington 98901, USA
Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615

E-mail general@nwhort.org