G/SPS/GEN/1353  
 
15 August 2014  
(14-4737)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 NEW ZEALAND MINISTRY FOR PRIM ARY INDUSTRIES IS CHANGING 
ITS ELECTRONIC CERTIFICAT ION FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS 
COMMUNICATION FROM NEW ZEALAND 
The following communication, received on 14 August 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of New Zealand. 
 
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  1.  On 21 July 2014, the New Zealand Ministry fo r Primary Industries (MPI) moved its electronic 
certification system for dairy products to the revised Animal Products E-cert system (AP E-cert) for 
export certification to Australia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MPI dairy product export certification for other markets is currently carried out via 
the milk products electronic certification system  (MP E-cert). On 1 September 2014, dairy product 
export certification for all other markets will be moved to the AP E-cert system, with a few exceptions where specific arrangements are in place. 
2.  The AP E-cert system is the software platform through which MPI creates sanitary/zoosanitary 
certificates for animal products, when these are required by importing countries. The move to the AP E-cert system will not alter MPI's current prov ision of certification on paper. However, because 
dairy product certification is moving to the revised AP E-cert system, paper certificates printed 
from the AP E-cert system will look slightly different from paper certificates printed from the 
current MP E-cert system. Despite the different appearance, the changes are superficial in nature as all assurances and essential product information provided on certificates printed from the 
MP E-cert system will still be provided on certificates printed from the AP E-cert system. Some 
changes on printed certificates include: 
 a change in certificate title to better reflect the range of commodities the template covers; 
 some minor changes to phrasing of some health attestations where there has been 
consolidation of multiple templates into one unified template; and 
 a separate box for manufacturing date. 
3.  MPI is communicating with competent authorities in all countries with whom New Zealand has 
significant dairy trade to notify the change to th is revised AP E-cert system and the associated 
appearance of the certificates. 
4.  The major reason for the system upgrade is  that the technology supporting the current 
MP E-cert electronic certification system is now outdated. Also the international data standard 
(UNCEFACT) for conveying sanitary and phytosanit ary (SPS) assurances of compliance by way of 
electronic certification, which is available in the revised AP E-cert system, is not available in the 
MP E-cert system. A move to the revised AP E-cert system means dairy certificates will now be 
able to be received electronically by importing countries, if and when such arrangements are made 
by agreement between MPI and the importing co untry regulatory authority. Online border 
inspector access is another feature of the revised AP E-cert system that is not part of the current 
MP E-cert system. The revised E-cert system makes it possible, in future, to implement paperless 
certification for dairy product export certificates. Paperless certification has already been implemented in some markets for meat products. G/SPS/GEN/1353 
 
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  5.  Overseas enquiries regarding the AP E-cert upgrade should be directed to 
market.access@mpi.govt.nz . 
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