Weekly Update 23 September 2019

This week

Sea freight queue

For the coming week, sea freight application turnaround is estimated at 3- 6 days.

COB Friday 20th Sept status. There were 2058 Sea Freight in the queue (including Australian applications) and we were processing consignments due 19th September.

There were 783 consignments to be left to be processed before Monday.

Australia queue

For the coming week Australia container applications turnaround is estimated at 2-3 days.

COB Friday 20th Sept status. Australia queue stood at 305 applications (11 Air, 294 Sea) with 77 applications left to complete all of Friday’s applications.

On Monday 23rd Sept the Australian queue had 171 applications remaining with consignments being processed due today.

Airfreight queue

COB Friday 20th Sept status. There were 42 Air applications left.

By Monday 23rd Sept all air applications were processed.

For the coming week, air freight application turnaround is estimated at 1-2 days.

Other Queues:

• ICR processing (LVWO) – 100% ICR turned around within operational performance targets.
• Urgency requests processed within 1 working day.

Pressure point:

A small amount of agents emailed the manifest inbox to let us know documents had been submitted in their 2nd submission, this is not necessary unless linked to an urgency request. 

Applications processed

All timings are based on business hours from 7am to 5pm.

Your questions answered

Sensitive Cargo from Italy?

Example

We have an importer who imports two products from Italy.

First it Mattresses which from my understanding would be on the sensitive cargo list due to be foam and fabric products. If you can please confirm this and also advise if mandatory inspection is required on arrival?

They also import metal bed frames. Being a product that people sleep on would this be on the sensitive cargo as well?

Risk goods and cargo from Italy only considered by an MPI Chief Technical Officer to be sensitive to fumigation or heat treatment may receive MPI inspection instead of being treated.

The MPI Chief Technical Officer considers this list of risk goods to be sensitive to treatment

• Agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines;
• Food for human consumption (including beverages);
• Food-grade packaging material (such as thermal plastic film);
• Fresh produce;
• Frozen food products;
• Live animals;
• Leather goods (apparel and furniture);
• Pet food;
• Pharmaceutical products;
• Polyurethane bales and foam products;
• Refrigerated goods;
• Seed for sowing;
• Tank-tainers; and
• Textiles (including yarn)

Metal Bed Frames I would not consider sensitive from the list.

Note:

The list may be subject to change and you will still need to meet other biosecurity requirements for the cargo and container.

Importers must notify MPI in writing that the cargo is considered to be sensitive [as per list above] to treatment at the time of application for biosecurity clearance so that appropriate MPI intervention can be arranged.

This should be done before arrival of the container and cargo to New Zealand as failure of an importer to notify MPI of the sensitive nature of the sea container and cargo may result in delays to biosecurity clearance being provided, or re-shipment or destruction of the sea container and cargo.

General requirements: All risk goods imported into NZ must be free of biosecurity contaminants and regulated pests, and are subject to inspection. 

Topic 2 – Treatment

Example

1. What kind of gas do we need for fumigation?
2. About the way of treatment before putting goods into a container, is it okay if we fumigate goods on a fully-closed, for example, hamper? Are there any detailed rule about this?
3. As for goods already wrapped, would it be fine if gas can get inside the wrapping for sure? In the past it was allowed for us to wrap goods beforehead if gas can totally reach inside the wrapping (this was the case with treatment after arrival in NZ).

What do I need to do if I have sensitive cargo from Italy?

Example

1. What kind of gas do we need for fumigation?
2. About the way of treatment before putting goods into a container, is it okay if we fumigate goods on a fully-closed, for example, hamper? Are there any detailed rule about this?
3. As for goods already wrapped, would it be fine if gas can get inside the wrapping for sure? In the past it was allowed for us to wrap goods beforehead if gas can totally reach inside the wrapping (this was the case with treatment after arrival in NZ).

Answer:

Treatment options and rates

There are 3 approved treatment options for BMSB treatment.

The approved treatment are:

• Heat Treatment
• Methyl bromide fumigation and
• Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation (not available in NZ)

Treatment dosages

Goods must be treated using one of the following: 

Heat:

For all goods types and sizes

• 56°C or higher at the coldest surface / part of the goods in the hardest to treat area, and applied for a minimum of 30 minutes
• 60°C or higher at the coldest surface  / part of the goods in the hardest to treat area, and applied for a minimum of 10 minutes

Methyl Bromide:

• A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for a minimum of 12 hours (but less than 24 hours), with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m³.
• A dose of 24g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³

Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation:

• A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for a minimum of 12 hours (but less than 24 hours), with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m³
• A dose of 24g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³

Sulfuryl Fluoride – Fumiguide

• Achieve a CT of 200 or more, at 10°c or above, for 12 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m³
• Achieve a CT of 200 or more, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³

Post-treatment is covered under Part/Section 4.6 Post-treatment for vehicles, machinery, and parts treated in a Schedule 3 country (without an MPI-Approved System)

Plastic Wrapping

 MPI considers that an MPI-approved treatment provider who is experienced and practical would be able to determine the conditions under which effective fumigation and heat treatment is able to be conducted and would insist upon suitable spacing and openings into plastic wrapped cargo. Treatment providers must have enough space in the enclosure around and above the goods to be able to access and place the monitoring tubes or temperature sensors in the required locations and to place a fan in the front of the enclosure in the free airspace to circulate the air for effective treatment.  If treatment providers do not have enough space, the goods must be reconfigured or removed from the enclosure to allow correct placement of monitoring probes/tubes and the fan to occur. If this cannot be done, the fumigation should not be conducted.  Such MPI-approved treatment providers have been advised about what MPI expects regarding effective and compliant treatment.

 Date range for BMSB season?

Example

We import new automotive equipment from Italy, such as tyre changers, wheel balancers etc.

There seems to be some confusion from their end from the new SEACO document from July 19.

Just wanting to clarify the following

• Enforcement of such new regulation in NZ (at destination) : is it April 2020, the latest date limit at NZ ports, for accepting eventual non-complying loads? Or is it already valid? … (in my interpretation September- April would be a timeframe for getting organized to comply ).

Answer:

The BMSB target risk season applies to targeted risk goods [Vehicles, Machinery and Parts] arriving from specified risk countries (Schedule 3) and containerised risk good originating in Italy, shipped on or after 1 September and arriving in New Zealand on or before 30 April of any year.

• IHS for Vehicles, Machinery, and Parts
• Guidance document for Vehicles, Machinery, and Parts
• IHS for Sea Containers
• Guidance document for the IHS for Sea Containers from All Countries 

Generically, all containers with cargo (and other consignments) must be clean and free from all biosecurity contaminants and regulated pests.  All cargo that is shipped to New Zealand in containers must meet the requirements under Parts 2.1 and 2.2 in the Import Health Standard for Sea Containers.

Failure to meet the requirement of the Import Health Standards will result in non-compliant cargo being denied the ability to be unloaded from arriving vessels, subsequent onward shipment to ports outside of New Zealand or destruction of the sea container and cargo.

For future enquiries, we have created a quick reference tool for the biosecurity vehicles, machinery and parts requirements you need to meet. You can use it online

Search for non-BMSB season import health standard

Useful resources

Download this PDF guidance from the Australian Government's website

BMSB Consignment suitability

BMSB Sulfuryl Fluoride fumigation compliance requirements

BMSB Methyl Bromide fumigation compliance requirements

BMSB Heat treatment compliance requirements

Find previous updates on our website.