- Print Friendly - Help

Exporting animal products – a beginner’s guide

If you intend to export animal products, including dairy products, from New Zealand, you will need to meet the requirements of the Animal Products Act 1999. This page guides new exporters through these requirements.

Choose your animal product and market

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) can help you decide on your product and market. Their website includes guidance on starting out, training, country selection, choosing an in-market representative, assessing your company’s readiness to export, and marketing hints. Their enterprise training programme includes training for exporters.

Exporter information and services, including first steps to exporting - on New Zealand Trade and Enterprise website

Exporter education - enterprise training programme - on New Zealand Trade and Enterprise website

Business.govt.nz also provides online exporting advice for those who are planning to export.

Advice for businesses that are planning to export - on business.govt.nz website

Get familiar with the Animal Products Act

NZFSA administers the Animal Products Act 1999. The Act ensures that animal products traded and used (including those for export) are ‘fit for intended purpose’.

Legislation – what it means for exporters

Animal products definition

Source your animal product

You can either purchase animal products from a supplier, or manufacture the products yourself. The requirements you need to meet under the Act depend on how you source your product.

If you manufacture, you need to know the premises requirements. For example, you may need a risk management programme, or you may need to operate under a regulated control scheme. The requirements depend on whether an official assurance is required. See the section called ‘Premises requirements in the ‘Sourcing animal products for export’ page.

Sourcing animal products for export

Managing risk (RMPs and RCSs)

To ensure exported animal products are ‘fit for intended purpose’, NZFSA administers several types of risk management systems, depending on the type of animal product being exported.

There are five main methods of risk management control under the Animal Products Act:

• risk management programmes (RMPs)

• regulated control schemes (RCSs)

• recognised agencies and persons

• export requirements (GREX, OAP etc)

• market specific export requirements (OMARs).

Risk management programmes (RMPs)

All animal products intended for export must be made in premises operating under the Animal Products Act. Usually this means the manufacturer has to operate under a risk management programme (RMP). This is a written plan designed by an animal product business to manage its biological, chemical and physical hazards.

If you manufacture animal products for export that are required to be made under an RMP, you will need to register your risk management programme with NZFSA, and get it checked regularly by an independent verifier.

Risk management programmes (RMPs)

Regulated control schemes (RCSs)

Regulated control schemes are designed by NZFSA with industry consultation to manage risks where either:

• it is not feasible or practical to operate under an RMP (for example, limited processing fishing vessels)

• there is a specific market requirement (for example, hormone growth promotant).

Regulated control schemes

Recognised agencies and persons

NZFSA approves (‘recognises’) people and agencies to carry our certain functions, for example, verifying risk management programmes. This is to ensure they are competent to perform these functions.

Recognised agencies and persons

Comply with export requirements for all markets

Some export requirements apply to all markets.

• Register as an animal products exporter

• Comply with the general requirements for export (GREX)

• Check the overseas market access requirements (OMARs) to see if an official assurance is required.

• If you need an official assurance, follow the official assurance programme (OAP) to get an export certificate.

• Apply to use E-cert

• Apply for your official assurance (OA) on E-cert

Register as an animal products exporter

Most exporters need to register with NZFSA, and have certain duties under the Act.

Once you are export registered you can apply for a password to access the overseas market access requirements (OMARs) on the NZFSA website.

Export requirements for animal products

Application to view protected documents

Comply with the general requirements for export (GREX)

GREX (general requirements for export) are put in place to safeguard assurances provided by NZFSA, for the export of animal products. They usually relate to verification, production, packaging, labelling, and transportation.

Export requirements for animal products

Check the overseas market access requirements (OMARs)

Look up the OMARs to see if you need to get an official assurance (export certificate). The OMAR for your particular product-market combination will tell you which certificate you need.

Market-specific export requirements for animal products

Follow the official assurance programme (OAP)

The official assurances programme (OAP) is the process you must follow to obtain an official assurance. If an official assurance is required you will need to meet the requirements of the official assurances programme (OAP) to get your export certificate. The official assurances programme (OAP) covers elements of production, verification, traceability and eligibility requirements that must be met for your specific animal product to be certified to any market.

Export requirements for animal products

Apply to use E-cert

E Cert is the electronic system you use to apply for and receive export certificates.

Learn more and apply to use E-cert

Comply with market-specific export requirements - OMARs

The requirements above apply to all markets. In addition to these, there are different requirements you need to meet depending on the combination of the country (market) you export to and the products you export. The specific requirements for your country-product combination are outlined in the overseas market access requirements (OMARs). OMARs tell you if an export certificate is required, and if so, which one.

NZFSA notifies you of market-specific export requirements on the NZFSA website, in the form of:

• OMARs

• OMAR notifications

• FYIs.

There may also be other requirements. You need to check these with your importing agent or distributor.

Market-specific export requirements

Cost recovery - fees and charges

NZFSA is required to recover certain costs associated with administering the Animal Products Act. To do this, NZFSA charges for some Animal Products Act activities and services. You will know if there is a fee or charge associated with an activity or service, as it will be stated on the official form or notification for that activity or service. The fees and charges are outlined in the regulations below.

Animal Products (Fees, Charges, and Levies) Regulations 2007

Glossary

If you are unsure what a term means, you can look it up in the glossary.

Glossary and acronym definitions

Contact

Please include your geographical region so we can direct your enquiry to the correct person.

export.animalproducts@nzfsa.govt.nz

Last updated 13 May 2009