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Find treatment options

For imported goods

Check the treatment requirements for a product in the relevant import health standard. 

For goods that need treatment for border clearance, check the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI's) Standard Approved Biosecurity Treatments.

For exported goods

For goods being exported, check treatment requirements in the relevant:

MPI has prepared this guidance document to help exporter or owner of the goods prepare their consignment before treatment:

Guidance on consignment suitability for treatment [PDF, 161 KB]

Specific treatments

Insecticide aerosols for sea containers

Suitable insecticide aerosols have at least one knock-down and one residual active ingredient from Table 1.

Table 1 Suitable active ingredients for insecticide aerosols
Knock-down ingredient
(minimum single or combined amount 1g/kg or 0.1%)

Residual ingredient
(minimum single or combined amount 0.5g/kg or 0.05%)
  • tetramethrin
  • d-phenothrin
  • esbiothrin
  • d-allethrin
  • permethrin
  • cyphenothrin

Note: bicycloheptene dicarboximide and piperonyl butoxide are propellants or synergists and do not have insecticide properties.
Using insecticide aerosols

If you see live insects in a container, spray insecticide in it to prevent them from escaping.

  • If you suspect multiple insects, spray insecticide aerosol toward the top of the container for a minimum of 12 seconds (based on a 20 foot container) before closing it for at least 30 minutes. 
  • To kill a single insect, spray the aerosol directly onto the insect for as long as it takes to kill it.

Call MPI's pest and diseases hotline to report insects and get advice on what to do.

  • Phone 0800 80 99 66.

If your facility has to meet food safety requirements for chemicals, these take precedence over aerosol spray requirements. 

To ask about the suitability of a particular aerosol or an active ingredient not listed in the table, email standards@mpi.govt.nz

Methyl bromide

Because it is an ozone-depleting substance, methyl bromide can be used only for official quarantine and pre-shipment treatments.

Monitoring tables for methyl bromide fumigation

Disinfectants

MPI has approved certain disinfectants for use in general transitional facilities. 

Download a list of MPI-approved disinfectants [PDF, 360 KB]

Find out more

Check treatment provider standards

Treatment providers in New Zealand are approved to certain MPI standards, depending on the goods they are approved to handle. Check the appropriate standards for the requirements you need to meet.

General treatment provider requirements

Previous standards

General uncleared risk goods

Plant exports including seeds and timber

Other specific goods

Become an MPI-approved treatment provider

In New Zealand

To make sure only competent organisations and individuals provide official treatment of risk goods, treatment providers in New Zealand must be MPI-approved.

To become MPI-approved treatment provider, you need to apply through an independent verification agency (IVA) approved by MPI to evaluate providers.

Contact either:

Offshore

New Zealand is moving towards a requirement to use only registered treatment providers for offshore treatment of goods. 

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) treatment providers in countries listed in Schedule 3 of the IHS for Vehicles, Machinery, and Equipment need to send a completed application form to MPI (even if they're on the Australian stink bug approved list).

Who to contact

If you have questions about approved treatment providers, treatments or the provider approval process, email standards@mpi.govt.nz

MPI business units