WTO Notification Discussion Document   
17 November 2023    Page: 1 of 3 WTO Notification Discussion Document  
Amendment to the Food Notice: Requirements for Registered 
Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale  – November 202 3 
 
Date:     17 Novem ber 2023  
Notifying Member:   New Zealand 
Agency Responsible:  Ministry for Primary Industries  
Team Responsible:   Food Regulation 
    New Zealand Food Safety  
  
Purpose:  
1. This discussion document outlines an amendment to the Food Notice: Requirements for 
Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale, which  seeks to:  
 
• extend the bovine meat and bovine meat products permitted to be imported from 
Chinese Taipei , to include cooked bovine meat products.  
 
• extend the bovine meat and bovine meat products permitted to be imported from Australia, to include bovine meat and meat products processed or manufactured 
in New Zealand.  
 
• extend the list of countries with which an official certificate can be used to gain 
food safety clearance for the import of pasteurised fresh cheese, curd cheese and soft cheese, to include Switzerland.  
 
2. The Notice will revoke and replace the Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and Imported Food for Sale, which was issued on 13 December  2022. 
 
Key messages:  
 About the Notice  
 
3. The Notice:  
• supplements regulations regarding the duties of a registered food importer.  
 
• specifies which  imported foods are of High Regulatory Interest (HRI) and which are of 
Increased Regulatory Interest (IRI) . 
 
• specifies t he requirements to be met to obtain a clearance for entry into New Zealand.  
 
 
 WTO Notification Discussion Document   
17 November 2023    Page: 2 of 3 About the  changes  to the Notice : 
Import of cooked bovine meat and bovine meat products from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)  
4. Under the current  Notice, Chinese Taipei can only export canned bovine meat products to 
New Zealand, and these require an official certificate for clearance.  
 
5. MPI has  negotiated  with the competent authority of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) on a new 
official certificate that will  allow them to export cooked bovine meat products as well as 
cooked pork products to New Zealand. The agreed official certificate will meet both food 
safety and biosecurity clearance requirements.  
 
6. For trade of these products to commence, the current Noti ce must be updated to permit the 
import of cooked bovine meat products from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). This requires a small 
amendment to Table 1 in Part 6 to include these products and their clearance requirements.  
 
Import of New Zealand origin bovine meat and bovine meat products from Australia  
7. The current food safety clearance requirements for imports of bovine meat and bovine meat products from Australia in Part 6 of the Notice, only permits the entry of bovine meat products that have been processed or manufactured in Australia.  
 
8. There are instances when bovine meat products manufactured in New Zealand that have been exported to Australia are subsequently re -exported back to New Zealand. The current 
requirements in the Notice would not allow  these products to be permitted entry.  
 
9. A small amendment is required to the wording in the Table 1 of Part 6 to permit the export of New Zealand manufactured bovine meat products from Australia to New Zealand.  
 
Swiss Agreement for Animal Products   
10. The Agr eement between New Zealand and the Swiss Confederation on Sanitary Measures 
Applicable to Trade in Live Animals and Animal Products, signed 17 September 2010, recognises equivalence of sanitary measures and aims to facilitate trade between our countries.  
 
11. This agreement lists the animal products for which public health (food safety) management has been agreed as equivalent and where an official certificate can be used to facilitate clearance at the border.  
 
12. The list includes pasteurised milk products, howev er, we have identified from a recent 
review of the Notice that Switzerland had been omitted in the list of countries in Schedule 1 
with agreed certification arrangements for the importation of pasteurised fresh, soft and 
curd cheeses into New Zealand.  
 
13. To correct this omission, we will add Switzerland to the list of countries and geographic 
regions where pasteurised fresh, soft or curd cheeses may be imported under an agreed 
certification arrangement.  
  WTO Notification Discussion Document   
17 November 2023    Page: 3 of 3 Consultation  
 
14. It is our opinion that the proposed change s confer  only benefits and will not negatively  
affect any current trade.  
 
15. We have consulted with the coordinator of SPS New Zealand and have confirmed that a 
WTO consultation period is not required. Formal notification of the minor changes is being 
made to the SPS committee, as per our obligations.  
 Commencement and notification  
16. The notice was signed and will come into effect on 17 Novemb er 2023 . As the proposed 
changes do not affect or change any clearance procedures, a transitional period is not 
required.  
 
17. We have  published the new Food Notice: Requirements for Registered Food Importers and 
Imported Food for Sale on our website, replacing all previous versions. It will be able to be 
found at: 
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/55318- Food- Notice -Requirements -for-
Registered- Food -Importers -and-Imported- Food -for-Sale