Keeping New Zealand and New Zealanders safe
We need tight regulation on what comes into the country to protect New Zealand from biological risk and keep New Zealand free from potentially harmful pests or organisms. MPI works closely with overseas governments, exporters, and importers to ensure products coming to New Zealand do not harbour unwanted organisms. We also need robust policies, criteria, and procedures to monitor the safety of imported food into New Zealand for human consumption.
Reducing trade barriers
Alongside protecting biosecurity and public health, MPI has a focus on facilitating trade with other countries. New Zealand and other countries pursue bilateral and regional free trade agreements to provide significant opportunities for New Zealand's primary sector and pave the way for trade liberalisation. MPI is involved in negotiations on the sanitary and phytosanitary issues that underpin the trade in biological products.
MPI focuses on reducing trade barriers, negotiating new access where official assurances are required, and developing bilateral relationships.
As part of this, the New Zealand Customs Service and MPI are developing the Joint Border Management System (JBMS). JBMS will ultimately provide a single channel for the import and export industry to comply with border requirements, streamlined processes, and greater consistency and certainty for the border clearance process. It will enable smart, swift border processing, making importing into New Zealand easier and faster.
Learn more about the Joint Border Management System
World-class standards
MPI works extensively with international standard-setting bodies and organisations to ensure their standard setting activities and guidance reflect New Zealand's interests in protecting biosecurity and public health interests while not restricting trade more than is needed.
