1.

Notifying Member: NEW ZEALAND

If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):

2.

Agency responsible:

Ministry for Primary Industries

Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service

Operational Policy – Forestry & Resource Management

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:

New Zealand's Technical Barriers to Trade Enquiry Point

Standards New Zealand,

Phone: +64 4 498 5990

Email: wto@standards.co.nz

Website: www.standards.govt.nz

3.

Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [ ], 3.2 [ ], 7.2 [ ], other:

4.

Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):

4401 (Fuel wood in logs),

4402 (Wood Charcoal),

4403 (Wood in the rough),

4407 (Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise),

4408 (Sheets for veneering),

4409 (Wood, Tongued, Grooved, Moulded Etc, Coniferous),

4410 (Particle board),

4411 (Fibreboard of wood),

4412 (Plywood),

4414 (Wooden frames),

4416 (Casks, barrels, vats, tubs),

4418 (Builders' joinery),

4419 (Tableware and Kitchenware, Of Wood),

4420 (Wood Marquetry and Inlaid Wood; Cases),

4421 (Miscellaneous wood items).

4602 (Basketwork, wickerwork)

4703 (Chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate),

4705 (Mechanical or chemical wood pulp)

4801 (Newsprint),

4802 (Uncoated paper and paperboard),

4803 (Toilet or facial tissue),

4804 (Uncoated kraft paper and paperboard),

4805 (Other uncoated paper and paperboard),

4806 (Vegetable/parchment/tracing papers),

4810 (Coated paper and paperboard),

4811 (Paper products coated/surfaced),

4813 (Cigarette paper),

4818 (Toilet paper and similar paper),

4819 (Cartons, boxes),

4820 (Paper booklets),

4821 (Paper labels),

4823 (Other paper),

4901 (Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar),

4902 (Newspapers, journals, and periodicals),

4909 (Printed or illustrated postcards; printed cards bearing personal greetings),

4911 (Other printed matter, including printed pictures and photographs),

8903 (Yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sports; rowing boats and canoes),

9401 (Seats w Wooden Frames)

9403 (Wooden Furniture, Except Seats),

9406 (Prefabricated buildings),

9504 (Video game consoles and machines, table or parlour games, including pintables, billiards, special tables for casino games and automatic bowling equipment, amusement machines operated by coins, banknotes, bank cards, tokens or by any other means of payment.).

5.

Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Discussion document: New Zealand's Legal Harvest Assurance System:

Consultation on operational detail for the legal harvest assurance system; (42 page(s), in English)

6.

Description of content: As per notification G/TBT/N/NZL/113, the New Zealand Government is establishing a new regulatory system to provide legal harvest assurance for the forestry and wood-processing sector. The Forest (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Act 2023 was passed in May 2023 and is to come into force by no later than 1 August 2027.

The government is now consulting on regulatory proposals to give effect to the legal harvest assurance system when it comes into force. These regulatory proposals include:

·_        specifying the relevant harvest laws in New Zealand for the purposes of the definition of "legally harvested"

·_        refining the scope of timber and timber products for legal harvest

·_        obligations and requirements for the people, organisations and entities regulated under the system, including exemptions and exceptions

·_        due diligence system requirements

·_        applying for exporter statements

·_        information to be displayed on the public registers for registered people and recognised people.

7.

Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: The legal harvest assurance system will play a key role as part of the New Zealand forestry sector's credentials for being a robust and safe trading partner. The objectives of the system are to:

·_        strengthen the international reputation of the forestry sector;

·_        safeguard and enhance market access for the forestry sector;

·_        reduce the risk of importing timber that is not legally harvested; and

help reduce international trade in timber that is not legally harvested.

8.

Relevant documents:

Proposed regulations to implement New Zealand's Legal Harvest Assurance system:

Link to consultation website: Proposed operational details for the forestry legal harvest assurance system

Link to discussion document: Operational detail for the legal harvest assurance system – discussion document

Link to Amendment Act: Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Act 2023

Link to original Act: Forests Act 1949

Link to relevant website: Forestry Legal Harvest Assurance web page

9.

Proposed date of adoption: Adoption anticipated late 2025, pending Government consideration and decisions.

Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined At the same time the Act comes into force – no later than 1 August 2027.

10.

Final date for comments: 89 days from notification

11.

Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:

Discussion document: New Zealand's Legal Harvest Assurance System: Consultation on operational detail for the legal harvest assurance system.

Ministry for Primary Industries

Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service

Operational Policy – Forestry & Resource Management

Charles Fergusson Building

34 - 38 Bowen Street

PO Box 2526

Wellington 6140

New Zealand

Tel: +64 4 830 1574

Email: mpi.forestry@mpi.govt.nz