G/TBT/N/NZL/113  
30 June 2022  
(22-5078) Page: 1/4 
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:   
Ministry of Primary Industries  
Forestry Systems Policy Team  
Charles Fergusson Building  
34 - 38 Bowen Street  
PO Box 2526  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
Tel: +64 4 830 1574  
Email: info@mpi.govt.nz  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Standards New Zealand,  
Phone: +64 4 498 5990  
Email: wto@standards.co.nz  
Website: www.standards.govt.nz   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  4401 (Fuel 
wood in logs),  
440290 (Mangrove Charcoal),  
4403 (Wood in the rough),  
4404 (Hoop wood, split poles, pile s), 
4406 (Railway or tramway sleepers),  
4407 (Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise),  
4408 (Sheets for veneering),  
440910 (Wood, Tongued, Grooved, Moulded Etc, Coniferous),  
440922 (Wood, Tongued, Grooved, Moulded Etc, of Tropical),  
440929 (Non coniferous Wood Ex cluding Bamboo),  
4410 (Particle board), 4411 (Fibreboard of wood),  
4412 (Plywood),  G/TBT/N/NZL/113  
 
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  4413 (Densified wood),  
4414 (Wooden frames),  
4415 (Packing Cases, Crates, Drums),  
4416 (Casks, barrels, vats, tubs),  
4417 (Tools, Tool Bodies, Tool Handles, Broom or Brush Bodies),  
4418 (Builders' joinery), 4419 (Tableware and Kitchenware, Of Wood),  
4420 (Wood Marquetry and Inlaid Wood; Cases), 4421 (Miscellaneous wood items).  
4701 (Mechanical wood pulp),  
4702 (Chemical wood pulp, dissolving grades),  
4703 (Chemical woo d pulp, soda or sulphate),  
4704 (Chemical wood pulp, sulphite),  
4705 (Mechanical or chemical wood pulp)  
4801 (Newsprint),  
4802 (Uncoated paper and paperboard),  
4803 (Toilet or facial tissue),  
4804 (Uncoated kraft paper and paperboard),  
4805 (Other uncoated  paper and paperboard),  
4806.20.00 (Vegetable/parchment/tracing papers),  
4806.30.00 (Vegetable/parchment/tracing papers),  
4806.40.00 (Vegetable/parchment/tracing papers),  
4807 (Composite paper and paperboard),  
4808 (Corrugated paper and paperboard),  
4809 ( Carbon paper, self -copy paper),  
4810 (Coated paper and paperboard),  
4811 (Paper products coated/surfaced),  
4813 (Cigarette paper),  
4816 (Carbon paper, self -copy paper),  
4817 (Envelopes, letter cards),  
4818 (Toilet paper and similar paper),  
4819 (Cartons, boxes),  
4820 (Paper booklets),  
4821 (Paper labels),  
4823 (Other paper)  
940161 (Seats W Wooden Frames, Upholstered),  
940169 (Seats W Wooden Frames, Not Upholstered),  
940330 (Wooden Office Furniture, Except Seats),  
940340 (Wooden Kitchen Furniture,  Except Seats),  
940350 (Wooden Bedroom Furniture, Except Seats),  
940360 (Wooden Furniture),  
940390 (Parts of Furniture),  G/TBT/N/NZL/113  
 
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  9406.10.00 (Prefabricated buildings of wood)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Forests (Legal 
Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill  
This Bill amends the Forests Act 1949 (the principal Act ) (97 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  New Part 5: Legal harvest assurance  
The New Zealand Government is seeking to establish a new regulatory system to provide 
legal harvest assurance for the forestry and wood -processing sector. It is expected to 
operate in a manner that will:  
· assist in the prevention of international trade in illegally harvested timber; and  
· strengthen the interna tional reputation of the New Zealand forestry and wood processing 
sector; and  
· safeguard and enhance market access for New Zealand forestry exports; and  
· reduce the risk that timber imported into New Zealand is sourced from illegally harvested 
timber.  
A range of law changes are needed to establish the system. The Ministry of Primary 
Industries (MPI) is working on developing legislation that would:  
· establish a definition of "legally harvested"  
· require operators (log traders, primary processors and impo rters/exporters of timber 
products) in the timber products supply chain to be registered and conduct due diligence 
and risk mitigation;  
· enable the Secretary (Director -General of MPI) to issue exporter statements for 
registered parties to help them facili tate trade;  
· oblige forest owners or people who have the right to harvest to provide information on 
the harvest to others in the supply chain;  
· provide for exemptions, a compliance and enforcement regime, and other elements 
needed for a legal harvest assurance system.  
New Part 6: Log traders  
The proposed legal harvest system in new Part 5 will have operational overlaps with the 
registration of log traders in Part 2A of the Act (to be inserted by the Forests (Regulation 
of Log Traders and Forest ry Advisers) Amendment Act 2020. To ensure that the two 
systems operate as closely as they can, the Bill repeals provisions relevant to log traders 
in the new Part 2A and inserts a new Part 6 in the Act. The new Part 6 (Log Traders) has 
similar provisions to those in Part 2A, with some minor adjustment to align with the 
operational design for the legal harvest system.  
New Part 7: Cost recovery  
The Bill also inserts a new Part 7 which consolidates common provisions on cost recovery 
for Parts 2A, 5 and 6.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The Bill, in new Part 5, intends to establish a new regulatory system for 
providing legal harvest assurance for the forestry and wood -processing sector. It will pay 
a key r ole as part of the New Zealand forestry sector's credentials for being a robust and 
safe trading partner. It is expected to:  
* help reduce international trade in timber that is not legally harvested; and  
* strengthen the international reputation of the for estry sector; and  
* safeguard and enhance market access for the forestry sector; and  
* reduce the risk of importing timber that is not legally harvested; Quality requirements; 
Reducing trade barriers and facilitating trade  G/TBT/N/NZL/113  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
Proposed Legislation to implement a National Wood Legality Assurance  
Link to bill: Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill 118 -1 (2022), Government 
Bill Contents – New Zealand Legislation  
Link to relevant website: Legal har vest assurance system for timber | Te Uru Rākau – 
New Zealand Forest Service | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  No more than 3 years after Royal Assent (March/April 
2023)  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Regulations developed and implemented from early 
2023 
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:   
Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill 118 -1 (2022), Government Bill 
Contents – New Zealand Legislation  
Ministry of Primary Industries  
Forestry Systems Policy Team  
Charles Fergusson Building  
34 - 38 Bowen Street  
PO Box 2526  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
Tel: +64 4 830 1574  
Email: info@mpi.govt.nz