IMPLEMENTATION LEVEL

National

AFFECTED FLOW

Inflow

ANNOUNCED AS TEMPORARY

Yes

NON-TRADE-RELATED RATIONALE

No

ELIGIBLE FIRMS

all

JUMBO

No

TARIFF PEAK

No
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Inception date: 25 Mar 2020 | Removal date: 30 Jun 2020

Import tariff

On 25 March 2020, the government of New Zealand announced temporarily removing import tariffs on certain medical and hygiene products. The decision is taken through the Tariff Concession Notice (11) 2020 of the New Zealand Customs Service.  According to the decision, effective from 25th of March 2020, import tariffs on soaps (of a kind suitable for use in the COVID-19 event) classified under the tariff heading 3401 and diagnostic reagents (COVID-19 testing kit) classified under the tariff heading 3822 are temporarily abolished. Previously, the import tariffs on soaps and diagnostic reagents were 5% and 3.8% respectively.

Concerning the decision, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said “Even though New Zealand already has low tariffs overall, and a significant proportion of our imports are tariff-free thanks to our free trade agreements, some imported products required for the COVID-19 response remain subject to tariffs. Removing tariffs on these products will reduce their cost of imports and facilitate access to them from the widest possible range of overseas suppliers.”  

Furthermore, Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said: “Officials are in the process of identifying other medical and hygiene products needed for the COVID-19 response, and further tariff concessions will follow shortly.”

Tariff concessions on the subject products will expire on 30 June 2020.

AFFECTED COUNTRIES

MAP
TABLE
EXPORT

AFFECTED SECTORS AND PRODUCTS

353 Soap, cleaning preparations, perfumes & toilet preparations
3401 Soap; organic surfaceactive products and preparations for use as soap, in the form of bars, cakes, moulded pieces or shapes, whether or not containing soap; organic surfaceactive products and preparations for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or c
340111 For toilet use (including medicated products)
340119 Other
340120 Soap in other forms
340130 Organic surfaceactive products and preparations for washing the skin, in the form of liquid or cream and put up for retail sale, whether or not containing soap
354 Chemical products n.e.c.
3822 Diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, other than those of heading 30.02 or 30.06; certified reference materials.
382200 Diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, other than those of heading 30.02 or 30.06; certified reference materials.

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