Replacing our trade certification systems

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, 70 KB]

MPI Trade Certification release schedule

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Release 1 – Small set of manual certificates

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Release 1 was successfully rolled out in early 2024. MPI staff manually entered information into MPI Trade Certification to generate export certificates and official assurances in paper format.

Release 1 involved only a small set of certificates:

organic products to Great Britain, Japan, and Taiwan
horses to Australia
free sale certificates
free sale statements.

Release 1 of Ministry for Primary Industry Trade Certification fact sheet [PDF, 77 KB]

Release 2 – Import certificates

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Release 2 was successfully rolled out in July 2024. MPI staff started using MPI Trade Certification to view import certificates collected:

from the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) Hub
directly from a handful of overseas government agencies.

The IPPC Hub is effectively a centralised mailbox where countries post and collect electronic certificates using data exchange.

Release 3 – Wine products, organic products to Great Britain and free sale certificates

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In late November, we will launch the MPI Trade Certification to industry users for the first time. The part of MPI Trade Certification that industry users will use is called the ‘digital front end’. Launching the digital front end represents a significant milestone in the development of MPI Trade Certification.

This third release will enable wine businesses to apply for official assurances, free sale certificates and manage their wine products in MPI Trade Certification. Managing wine products includes actions such as sensory testing, applying packaging and managing Wine Standards Management Plan confirmations.

Release 3 will also enable businesses to apply for:

Official Organic Assurances to Great Britain
free sale certificates.

The MyMPI portal will also go live at the same time as Release 3. Users will access MPI Trade Certification through MyMPI.

About MyMPI

MyMPI is a secure online tool where users can access MPI services using a RealMe login.

Over time, MyMPI will become the point of entry to access all digital services provided by MPI.

Release 4 – Plant products

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Businesses exporting plants and plant products will move to MPI Trade Certification in Release 4, planned for 2025.

Exporters will be able to request plant product certificates through either:

the MPI Trade Certification digital front end, or
via a Business to Government (B2G) exchange

B2G is an electronic exchange of information between a business and a government system.

Release 5 and 6 – animal products

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Businesses exporting animal products will move to MPI Trade Certification over the last 2 releases (5 and 6). In these releases, animal product related data exchange and dairy quotas will be introduced.

Exporters will be able to request animal product certificates through either:

the MPI Trade Certification digital front end, or
via a Business to Government (B2G) exchange.

How will MPI help me prepare for the new system?

MPI will offer a series of activities to help you prepare for moving to MPI Trade Certification.

We will hold industry hui to keep you up to date with:

what’s happening with the build of MPI Trade Certification
what the Future of Certification Programme team are working on
what’s coming up next.

We will provide training opportunities and learning materials as we move closer to go-live for your industry sector.

We will send specific communications as we approach the go-live so you have the latest timing, can learn about key preparatory actions you need to take, and where to get further support after the go-live.

If you need help or support, contact us at futurecertification@mpi.govt.nz

Training webinars

We’ll be running training webinars to help you learn how to use MPI Trade Certification. These webinars will be held online via Microsoft Teams. There will be multiple sessions so you can choose a date and time that suits.

We will be running training webinars in the 2 to 3 weeks before the go-live date.

We’ll send an invitation to register for the webinars to the relevant industry sectors from our email 'futurecertification@mpi.govt.nz'.

Learning resources

As each release goes live, MPI Trade Certification step-by-step user guides will be published for each industry sector, as required. These will be published on the MPI website. A series of short how-to training videos will be created after the go-live. We’ll also email links to learning resources to industry and sector groups.