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| | | Customs welcomes 20-years of cooperation with China | | | Customs and the General Administration of China Customs (China Customs) have marked 20-years since the establishment of New Zealand-China Customs relations.
The milestone was welcomed during a visit to Beijing by Comptroller and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service Christine Stevenson for annual high-level talks with China Customs.
At the annual high-level talks both agencies committed to further strengthening the relationship with increased face-to-face engagements and greater cooperation to help stop transnational, serious and organised crime, and open further opportunities for making trade easier.
Ms Stevenson said, over 20 years our agencies' relationship has grown enormously, underpinned by the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and our shared commitment to identifying and preventing illicit goods and precursor chemicals from reaching New Zealand. | | | | | | | | | | 
| | | Changes to Service Delivery forms | | | Several forms in Service Delivery have been updated and will be available for use on the Customs website from 9 April 2025.
The below forms have been updated to simplify and standardise content:
- NZCS 224 Apply for a client code or update your client registration
- NZCS 224A Apply for, or update, a Customs Number as a private individual
A new form has been published for businesses, organisations and individuals who are importing food for sale or food ingredients for the use in food for sale (no matter the value). You must register as a food importer by completing this new form.
- NZCS 224F Apply for a client code or update your client registration as a food importer
When submitting identification documents required for the NZCS 224, NZCS 224A and NZCS 224F forms, proof of validity is now required (for example, passport bio-page or front and back of New Zealand driver licence).
These changes will provide a better user experience and make the forms easier to understand.
Previous versions of the forms will be accepted until 9 May 2025. After this date, all requests must be submitted using the new version published on Customs website. | | | | | | | | | 
| | | Traveller jailed for smuggling cocaine through Auckland Airport | | | A man has been sentenced to five-years and three-months' imprisonment for smuggling approximately 1.9 kilograms of cocaine through Auckland International Airport.
Arriving on a flight from Chile on 29 July 2024, Customs officers x-rayed his suitcases and noted inconsistencies in the lining. Upon further investigation officers located approximately 1.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the top and bottom lining of both suitcases.
He appeared in the Manukau District Court on Wednesday 2 April where he was charged with importation and possession for the supply of a Class A drug.
Customs Acting Auckland Airport Manager Ben Wells said "Customs officers are skilled at their craft. Despite the volume of baggage and passengers they deal with daily, this is proof that they can find the needle in the haystack."
"The street value of 1.9 kilograms of cocaine is approximately $895,500.00 and it had the potential to cause $596,343.00 in social harm and cost to New Zealand."
If you have suspicions about drug smuggling, call Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. | | | | | | | | | 
| | | Customs clarifies requirements for the duty-free importation of pharmaceutical materials imported for clinical trials | | | Customs has reviewed the treatment of drugs and other materials imported solely for the purposes of clinical trials.
Where goods are imported under the Medicines Act 1981 for the sole purpose of obtaining clinical and scientific information with respect to its safety and efficacy, this will not normally satisfy the criteria under Regulation 65 of the C&E Regs 1996.
Future importations of clinical trial material that does not meet the criteria for samples will need to be cleared through normal entry procedures.
Any application of Regulation 65 will be considered on a case-by-case basis and persons seeking release of goods as samples must provide sufficient information to satisfy the Chief Executive that the goods qualify as samples. | | | | | | | | | | 
| | | Export requirements: Philippines pre-border technical verification | | | The Philippines have notified trading partners of their decision to implement pre-border technical verification. Customs understands this would require verification of commodities from all countries, by Philippine-government accredited companies, in the country of origin, prior to export to the Philippines.
More information can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) For Your Information (FYI) page: F16/25: Philippines Pre-Border Technical Verification
MPI publishes FYI and guidance documents on specific issues related to the export of goods, particularly animal products (such as meat, seafood, honey, and dairy), food products, plant products, and wine. They should be read in conjunction with the Overseas Market Access Requirement (OMAR) or Importing Countries Phytosanitary Requirement (ICPR) for the related destination market(s).
FYI and guidance documents for your product or destination market are available on MPI's website. | | | | | | | | | | 
| | | Customs Controlled Area alcohol licence applications set to launch on Business Connect | | | Businesses, organisations and individuals applying for a Customs Controlled Area (CCA) licence to manufacture alcohol (Licenced Manufacturing Area (LMA) licence) or store alcohol (OSS) will be able to use Business Connect to submit their application from 1 April 2025.
This change provides a better user experience, enabling applicants to apply for their CCA licence independently and ensure they provide the information Customs needs to start processing the application.
The Business Connect application offers an alternative to submitting applications via Trade Single Window (TSW).
For applications submitted through Business Connect, Customs will use the information provided to register the CCA in TSW on behalf of the applicant. The TSW application remains available where applicants are comfortable with independently completing this in TSW.
Other CCA licence application types are not covered by this change and will continue to be lodged through TSW. | | | | | | | | | 
| | | MFAT Market Intelligence Reports | | | The latest edition of the weekly global trade and economic update for New Zealand businesses has been published. | | | | | | | | |