WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/451 
14 April 2011  
 (11-1903) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity New Zealand 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Horses 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft import health standard for horses  Language(s):  
English  Number of pages:  15 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/NZL/11_1150_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/NZL/11_1150_01_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/NZL/11_1150_02_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/NZL/11_1150_03_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The import health standard for horses recommends import 
requirements to manage risk organisms associated with the import of horses into New Zealand from all potential exporting countries.   This is a new format MAF are using to 
develop import health standards.  The veteri nary certificates will be re-negotiated with 
currently approved countries to import horses into New Zealand.  Current approved 
countries include the United States, Canada , Australia, Hong Kong, the European Union 
member states and Japan. 
The changes recommended in the import health  standard are reflective of scientific and 
technical advances over the last el even years since New Zealand's Import Risk Analysis:  
Horses and Horse Semen  was written in 2000.  Due to New Zealand's continued obligations 
under the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code  our current IHS measures needed to be 
realigned to comply with the code. 
A draft risk management proposal is also ava ilable during the public consultation period.  
This document explains in some detail how th e options proposed in the new import health 
standard were chosen. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    G/SPS/N/NZL/451 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [X] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
The following diseases have risk mitigati on measures that exceed the OIE Code 
recommendations for the import of horses:  e quine influenza and equine infectious 
anaemia. 
The following diseases have risk mitigation me asures included in the standard and these 
diseases are not OIE listed including:  Bo rna disease (premise freedom), epizootic 
lymphangitis, equine encephalosis, equine salm onellosis, surra, Hendra and Nipah virus.  
Measures for West Nile fever were also included for horse imports.  West Nile fever is an 
OIE listed disease, but the OIE does not make recommendation for measures to be applied to horse imports. 
9. Other relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   
1. Risk Management Proposal:  Horses (English;  20 pages) 
2. Guidance Document:  Horse Import Hea lth Standard (English;  14 pages) 
3. Guidance Document:  Live animals (English;  8 pages)   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  30 June 2011 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  30 June 2011 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :   
Allowing for negotiation of approved country veterinary certificates, with trade still 
occurring under the current standards.  The st andard once entered into force will replace the 
following horse import health standards: 
horaniic.aus Importing Horses fro m Australia 6 January 2009 
(http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/horaniic.aus.htm ) 
horaniic.can Importing Horses from Canada 1 October 2007 
(http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports /animals/standards/horaniic.can.htm ) 
horaniic.eu Importing Horses from the European Union 1 October 2007 
(http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/horaniic.eu.htm ) 
horaniic.hk Importing Horses fro m Hong Kong 1 October 2007 
(http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/horaniic.hk.htm )  G/SPS/N/NZL/451 
 Page 3 
 
 
  horaniic.jpn Importing Horses from Japan 1 October 2007 
(http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/horaniic.jpn.htm ) 
horaniic.usa Importing Horses from the United States 12 May 2008 
(http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/animals/standards/horaniic.usa.htm ) 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  1 June 2011 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Sally Jennings, Adviser, International Organisa tions, International Policy, Biosecurity New 
Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand;  
Fax:  +(64 4) 819 0662;  E-ma il:  Sally.Jennings@maf.govt.nz 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Sally Jennings, Adviser, International Organisa tions, International Policy, Biosecurity New 
Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand;  Fax:  +(64 4) 819 0662;  E-ma il:  Sally.Jennings@maf.govt.nz