G/TBT/N/NZL/132  
12 April 2024  
(24-3107) 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:   
Ministry for Primary Industries  
Charles Fergusson Building  
34 – 38 Bowen Street  
PO Box 2526  
Wellington 6140  
New Zealand  
Tel: +64 4 830 1574  
Email: food.policy@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:   
TBT Enquiry Point of New Zealand  
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)  
Level 6, 15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011;  
Email: wto@standards.govt.nz  
Phone: +(64) 489 65 711  
Website: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 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):  All 
agricultural inhibitor substances sold and used in New Zealand applied to plants or animals 
to mitigate adverse impacts on the environment or to mitigate emissions that contribute 
to climate change.  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Regulatory 
Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill, Clause 4(1); (115 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Clause 4(1 ) of the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) 
Amendment Bill (the Bill) adds inhibitor substances to the central definition of 'agricultural 
compound' in the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 (ACVM Act), 
thereby subjecting inhibit ors to the requirements of the ACVM Act.  
The ACVM regulates veterinary medicines, pesticides, animal feeds, fertilisers and other 
'agricultural compounds' used for specific purposes in the management of plants and 
animals. The key requirements under the A CVM Act that are relevant under this 
notification are:  
• Authorisation requirements for importation of inhibitors  G/TBT/N/NZL/132  
 
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  • Conformity assessment procedures, including to assess the product's formula, the 
efficacy of its claims and what residues it leaves in food and for the health of 
plants and animals  
• Labelling requirements, including approval of labels in relation to the claims made  
• If registration is granted, appropriate conditions will be placed on the registration 
to manage certain risks  
This proposed measure replaces the 'interim measure' that New Zealand notified on 18 
August 2022 (G/TBT/N/NZL/114), however the associated policy intent remains 
unchanged. On commencement of the Bill, clauses 16 and 17 revoke the interim measure.  
Clauses 2(1 and 3) and 13 of the Bill amend the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary 
Medicines (Exemptions and Prohibited Substances) Regulations 2011 to provide a one -
year transition for agricultural compound companies to register their inhibitor substances 
used in New Zealand  under the ACVM Act once the amendment is in force.  
The Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill is an omnibus that includes 
a range of other amendments that are not relevant to this notification. For ease of 
interpretation, the relevant clau ses are summarised below:  
Summary of Clauses of the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill 
related to inhibitors to come into effect on the commencement of the Bill:  
• Clause 4(1), amends the interpretation of the ACVM Act amendments to the 
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (Exemptions and Prohibited 
Substances) Regulations 2011 (the amendment Regulations)  
• Clause 14 amends the definition of inhibitor in the Regulations  
• Clause 15 amends schedule 2 item 8A of the Regulations so t hat inhibitors are 
exempt from registration  
• Clause 16 revokes the amendment Regulations on commencement of the Bill  
• Clause 17 revokes the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines 
(Inhibitor Substances) Order 2022.  
Clauses of the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill that relate to 
inhibitors and intended to come into effect 12 -months after the Bill comes into effect:  
• Clause 2(2) is a commencement clause and provides the 12 -month transition 
period during which inhibitors are exempt f rom registration  
• Clause 24 revokes the definition of inhibitor when Clause 2(2) comes into effect  
Clause 25 revokes item 8A when Clause 2(2) comes into effect.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Inhibitors are used as a mitigation tool to help meet climate change and 
other environmental goals. The new technologies in new inhibitor substances, however, 
may have potential risks including residues in food, or to animal and plant health.  
Risks associa ted with the use of agricultural compounds in the management of the health 
plants, animals and food residues are managed in New Zealand through the ACVM Act. 
Inhibitors are currently not within scope of the Act. During consultation, relevant 
stakeholders i ndicated broad support for greater regulatory oversight on the sale and use 
of inhbitors through their regulation under the AVCM Act to manage potential risks of 
residues in food, or risks to animal and plant health.  
Therefore, the objective of this Part o f the Bill is to bring all inhibitors within scope of the 
ACVM Act by including inhibitors in the definition of 'agricultural compounds'. This will 
complement the Food Act which requires all food sold (including exported) to be safe and 
suitable.; Protecti on of human health or safety; Protection of animal or plant life or health; 
Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   G/TBT/N/NZL/132  
 
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  The Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997:  
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1997/0087/latest/DLM414577.html [A1] 
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (Exemptions and Prohibited 
Substances) Regulations 2011: 
www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2011/03 27/latest/whole.html#whole  
Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill:  
Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill 256 -1 (2023), Government Bill 
3 Principal Act – New Zealand Legislation  
The Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill is an omnibus that in cludes 
a range of other amendments that are not relevant to this notification. For ease of 
interpretation, the relevant clauses are summarised in the attached document: 
Commencement and Part 1 of the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment 
Bill as relates to inhibitors (PDF attached).  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  The date of adoption is dependent on the time required for 
the Bill to conclude the legislative process. Indicative dates will be available after the Bill 
has been introduced to the New  Zealand Parliament.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined On commencement of the Bill, a 
12 month transition period will be granted before the requirements on inhibitors enters 
into force.  
10. Final date for comments:  9 May 2024  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/NZL/24_02603_00_e.pdf