G/TBT/N/NZL/100  
8 June 2020  
(20-4070) Page: 1/3 
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:   
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)  
Level 10, Grant Thornton House  
215 Lambton Quay  
Private Bag 63002, Waterloo Quay  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
Ph +64 4 916 2426  
Email info@epa.govt.nz  
Name and address (includi ng 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  
Ph +64 4 498 5990  
wto@standards.co.nz   
www.standards.govt.nz  
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):  This 
notification covers all chemical substances that meet the definition of "hazardous 
substance" in Section 2 of the Hazardous Substances and New O rganisms (HSNO) 
Act 1996, and that currently exceed the thresholds set in the Hazardous Substances 
(Minimum Degrees of Hazard) Notice 2017. This is equivalent to the coverage of the United 
Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Implementation 
of GHS 7: Implications for hazardous substance approvals and group standards; 
Consultation Document 2 (48 pages, in English including Appendix 1; Append ices 2 -7 are 
made available on the EPA's website, these include the consultation document and 
submissions analysis report from the EPA's October 2019 consultation, exposure drafts of 
the new and amended EPA notices, the proposed group standards, a spreadsh eet with 
proposed GHS classifications and fates of approved substances and a spreadsheet with 
proposed controls related to substances approved or reassessed before 1 December 2017).  G/TBT/N/NZL/100  
 
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  6. Description of content:  In October 2019 New Zealand notified (G/TBT/N/ NZL/92) the 
EPA's proposal to update the current hazard classification system for hazardous substances 
to Revision  7 (2017) of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification 
and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS 7). This would be achieved by iss uing a new Hazard 
Classification Notice and would also require several other EPA notices to be amended, 
including those which set requirements for labelling, safety data sheets, and packaging of 
chemical substances.  
The EPA's second proposal related to up dating the current hazard classification system  to 
GHS 7 intends to:  
• update existing individual hazardous substance approvals to convert their current 
HSNO hazard classifications to GHS hazard classifications  
• update group standards to convert their current HSNO hazard classifications to GHS 
hazard classifications, and also to make some minor changes to a small number of 
group standards (note group standards are approvals for a group of hazardous 
substances of a similar nature, type or use)  
• revoke a n umber of duplicate hazardous substance approvals as their approvals can 
be managed by one or more group standards  
• update the controls on hazardous substance approvals issued before 1 December 
2017 to bring them into line with the reforms introduced with th e Health and 
Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 which came into force 
on that date  
• make available the proposed drafts of the new Hazard Classification Notice and 
amended Labelling, Safety Data Sheets, Packaging, Disposal, Hazardous Prop erty 
Controls and Importers and Manufacturers Notices.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Adopting the GHS 7 system will ensure an internationally aligned classification 
system for hazardous substances th at facilitates trade, increases efficiency in chemicals 
management, and enhances the effectiveness of the HSNO Act . 
8. Relevant documents:   
• GHS Implementation Consultation Document 2 (including 7 Appendices):  
https://www.epa.govt.nz/public -consultations/open -consultations/GHS -
Implementation -Consultation -2/ 
• GHS 7th revised edition, 2017 to be incorporated by reference into the Hazard 
Classification Notice:  
https://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev07/07files_e.html  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  The EPA is intending to make the new and amended EPA 
Notices and the new set of group standards available on the EPA website in October 2020.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  The proposal is for the new Hazard Classification 
Notice, the six amended notices, and the new set of group standards to come into force in 
April 20 21. 
A four year transitional period is proposed for the Labelling Notice, Safety Data Sheets 
Notice and Packaging Notice meaning that compliance with these three notices will not be 
mandatory for existing hazardous substance approvals or group standards un til April 2025.  
10. Final date for comments:  7 August 2020  G/TBT/N/NZL/100  
 
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  11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)  
Level 10, Grant Thornton House  
215 Lambton Quay  
Private Bag 63002, Waterloo Quay  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
Ph +64 4 916 2426  
Email info@epa.govt.nz  
www.epa.gov t.nz