Those involved in exporting primary products have just a few days remaining to give feedback on proposed options to improve export legislation.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) wants to hear from anyone interested in exporting food and other primary products to help shape the future legislative foundations that support market access.

Feedback from this consultation will help MPI develop a preferred option for cabinet consideration.

The consultation document sets out four options: the status quo option and three legislative options for change that build on each other. A key difference is the level of regulation to apply to exporters from the outset. 

The first legislative option would create new legislation for exports - enabling export requirements to be put in place more efficiently, if these are specifically needed to facilitate trade. This option does not introduce requirements at the outset – regulation is there to be used if needed for market access.

Option two adds a set of minimum legislative tools that apply immediately to the export of all food and other primary exports, including responsibilities for exporters.

Option three would give MPI visibility by applying a visibility tool over all food and other primary exports.

Currently only animal product and wine exports are supported by legislation to enable government export assurances. Two acts (the Animal Product Act 1999 and the Wine Act 2003) give MPI tools to intervene along the supply chain to manage risk and ensure trading partners continue to have confidence in these exports. These tools can also reduce costs to export businesses (for example through an equivalence agreement).

The rationale for change is to “future proof” and support exporters to meet increasingly complex and shifting market access requirements. 

MPI says the aim is to give the government tools to facilitate trade, helping to protect current exports, improve access and reduce impacts to exporters when issues arise. 

MPI is now providing assurances for a broader range of products to access certain markets. Along with food safety and animal/plant health, assurances are provided for organics, legally harvested wood and sustainable fisheries. This trend for assurances is speeding up. 

To get legislation that is workable for the primary production and export sector, a wide range of views are sought on the impacts of each of the proposed options.

Summerfruit NZ is working with other product groups on a joint submission in response to the proposed changes. 

The consultation closes on September 30 at 5pm and feedback can be submitted by email here.

For more see the MPI website.