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On this page:
- What is MPI Trade Certification?
- Why our certification systems need replacing
- Benefits of the new certification system
- Who will use MPI Trade Certification?
- When will my business move to MPI Trade Certification?
- How will MPI help me prepare for the new system?
- Newsletters
What is MPI Trade Certification?
The new Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Trade Certification system will replace many of MPI's existing certification systems for exports and imports.
These systems enable $33 billion of export trade each year and help protect New Zealand from harmful pests and diseases.
MPI Trade Certification will be a single, integrated, and digital trade certification system. It will be more flexible than current systems and more user-friendly for businesses and exporters.
MPI Trade Certification will replace:
- AP E-cert
- Wine E-cert
- ePhyto
- dairy quota systems
- Tahora, for exchange of electronic certificates
- manual certification systems for organic products and food.
Industry will start using the new system in late 2024. They will move to MPI Trade Certification in different stages, by sector group. All exporters will have moved to the new system by the end of 2025.
Why our certification systems need replacing
Our current systems are a combination of digital systems and paper processes. These were developed independently of each other and at different times.
Sometimes certification for just one consignment can involve multiple systems. This makes it less efficient for businesses to export their products.
Industry representatives have told us they want a new system that:
- is more user-friendly
- makes it easier to coordinate requests
- makes it easier to amend raised requests or replace issued certificates
- supports their own workflows
- can integrate efficiently with their own processes and systems
- safeguards the features of the existing systems that are working well for them.
Benefits of the new trade certification system
MPI Trade Certification is a modern, digital system, built for the future. The design will allow functionality to be developed over time to:
- be more user-friendly for businesses and exporters
- respond better and faster to new market requirements and significant global events that disrupt supply chains
- adapt to emerging international trends
- enable the reduction of paper certificates for import and export
- enable less rework and back and forth communication with industry
- support electronic certificates for a broader range of products and markets
- enhance trusted relationships with trading partners about the accuracy of our certification
- improve import to re-export processes
- strengthen New Zealand's food safety and biosecurity management
- help minimise trade disruptions.
Who will use MPI Trade Certification?
Businesses handling goods for export, exporters, verifiers and MPI staff will all use MPI Trade Certification.
For many users, you will enter your certificate information directly into the new online system.
If you use XML uploads, CSV or business to government integration systems, the new system will offer these options.
Businesses handling goods for export and exporters will use MPI Trade Certification for:
- raising requests for export certificates
- managing products
- managing processes that are applied to products.
Verifiers will use MPI Trade Certification for:
- verifying the information provided in certificate requests.
MPI staff will use MPI Trade Certification for:
- reviewing, approving (or declining) requests for export certificates
- issuing certificates and official assurance
- managing master data and certification tasks
- providing audit capability.
- tracing product that has been exported with certification.
When will my business move to MPI Trade Certification?
All users will move to MPI Trade Certification by the end of 2025. We will work to ensure the transition to the new system is as quick and smooth as possible.
There is still a lot of detail to work through about when specific groups will be onboarded. We will work closely with the relevant sectors to make sure they are ready for the transition. Sector groups will start using the online system at different stages.
This timeline shows an indicative release plan.
MPI Trade Certification timeline [PDF, 116 KB]