G/TBT/N/NZL/91  
21 October 2019  
(19-6847) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Arms Policy  
Policy and Partnerships  
New Zealand Police  
www.police.govt.nz  
Police National Headquarters  
180 Molesworth Street  
Wellington  
PO Box 3017  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addre sses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment  
PO Box 1473  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
www.mbie.govt.nz  
wto@standards.govt.nz  
Ph: +64 4 901 8603  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Only sub -
sets of these categories (refer to 6): Military weapons, other than revolvers, pistols and 
the arms of heading 93.07 (HS 93.01); Revolvers a nd pistols, other than those of heading 
93.03 or 93.04 (HS 93.02); Other firearms and similar devices which operate by firing of 
an explosive charge (for example, sporting shotguns and rifles, muzzle -loading firearms, 
Very pistols and other devices designe d to project only signal flares, pistols and revolvers 
for firing blank ammunition, captive -bold humane killers, line -throwing guns) (HS 93.03); 
Other arms (for example, spring, air or gas guns and pistols, truncheons), excluding those 
of heading 93.07 (HS  93.04); Parts and accessories of articles of headings 93.01 to 93.04 
(HS 93.05); antiques of an age exceeding one hundred years (HS 97.06).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Arms Legislation 
Bill (106 page(s), in English ) G/TBT/N/NZL/91  
 
- 2 - 
 
  6. Description of content:  The Arms Legislation Bill, a Bill to amend the Arms Act 1983, is 
aimed at improving public safety by adjusting legislative frameworks to improve controls 
on the use and possession of firearms.  
We are also making legislative changes to enable New Zealand t o accede to the Protocol 
against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components 
and Ammunition.   These changes include:  
• requiring all firearms manufactured in New Zealand or imported into New Zealand to 
be marked.   This b roadens the current legislative marking requirements to all 
firearms imported (currently, marking requirements apply to pistols, prohibited 
firearms, restricted airguns and restricted weapons). It also adds the requirement 
to firearms manufactured in New Z ealand  
• clarifying that silencers are included in the definition of "part".   Police practice since 
April 2019 has been that silencers have been included in parts; this change simply 
clarifies current practice  
• adding a new limb to the definition of antique f irearms clarifying that antique 
firearms do not include firearms manufactured after 1899.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The aim of the proposed changes is to enhance public safety as well as to 
ratify the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts 
and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime.    
8. Relevant documents:  Arms Legislation Bill  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  February 2020 depending on the Parliamentary process.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Same as the date of adoption.  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
http://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2019/0177/latest/LMS256577.html