G/SPS/N/NZL/715  
13 April 2023  
(23-2623) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry for Primary Industries  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Soil, rock, sand, clay and water  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft Import Health Standard:  Soil, Rock, Sand, Clay 
and Water . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  16 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/SPS/NZL/23_8913_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  MPI is proposing to revoke and replace the Import Health 
Standard: Soil, Rock, Gravel, Sand, Clay and Water. The changes include:  
1. general restructuring of the standard to improve readability;  
2. new option to treat offshore with appropriate documentation;  
3. new treatment options;  
4. removal of weight and volume limits o n soil and water;  
5. allow direction to a transitional facility without a permit;  
6. split commodities by type to better target treatments towards the correct risks;  
7. allow goods from New Zealand's exclusive economic zone to be treated as domestic 
with appropriat e documentation; and  
8. a new category for core samples.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [X]  animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal He alth Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) : 
ISPM Nos. 5, 18, 23, 24, 42  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No G/SPS /N/NZL/715  
 
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  If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Risk Management Proposal: Revision of the import health standard: Soil, Rock, Gravel, 
Sand, Clay and Wat er 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/SPS/NZL/23_8913_01_e.pdf  
(available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be notified at the end of the consultation 
process.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be notified at the end of the 
consultation process.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : To be notified at the end of the c onsultation process.  
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 25 May 2023  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Sally Griffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand. Tel: 
+(64 4) 894 0431; Fax: +(64 4) 894 0733; E -mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz  
Website:  https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/overview/access -and-trade -into-new-
zealand/world -trade -organization -notifications/  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Sally Griffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand. Tel: 
+(64 4) 894 0431; Fax: +(64 4) 894 0733; E -mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz  
Website:  https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/overview/access -and-trade -into-new-
zealand/world -trade -organization -notifications/