Seasonal measures for the 2024-25 brown stink bug (BMSB) risk season for goods shipped as ocean freight to New Zealand
The risk season is for target risk goods exported on or after 1 September 2024 arriving in New Zealand on or before 30 April 2025.
When? The risk season is for target risk goods exported on or after 1 September 2024 arriving in New Zealand on or before 30 April 2025.
High Risk Target Countries - 38
List of high risk countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America.
Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme
Offshore treatment providers in target risk countries must first register and be approved by the department. Existing treatment providers will also need to re-reregister with the department. Goods that are treated by a treatment provider in a target risk country that is not registered with the scheme will be directed for export or onshore treatment (if permitted).
Important Note:
Australia & New Zealand will not be conducting BMSB treatments for each other.
For example, if goods are exported from NZ for not meeting
BMSB conditions, they will not be permitted to be treated in
AU, and Vice versa.
All targeted goods MUST be treated offshore whether containerised or breakbulk
Cargo not complying with mandatory treatment prior to arrival in NZ will be denied discharge & re-exported.
IHS for vehicles, machinery & parts (VMP)
Changes that importers should be aware of are:
- The current BMSB management exclusions for new smaller vehicle types remain in the standard.
- Some new types of vehicles, machinery and parts are excluded from BMSB management requirements (treatment or system management) providing they are stored indoors and exported in a fully enclosed container and a signed manufacturer’s declaration is submitted before arrival. Exclusions will apply to the following commodities unless exported from Italy:
• new machinery (non-drivable kind)
• new jet skis and sea scooters
• new tyres
• new vehicle and machinery parts
• new smaller vehicle types (including all-terrain vehicles (ATV), motorcycles, golf carts, go-karts,
scooters, side by side (SxS) racers/vehicles, snow mobiles, quad bikes & tricycles - Used small vehicle types (as listed above) exported from Japan will not require year-round mandatory system management. BMSB management requirements will apply instead
- Schedule 3 – BMSB Management Changes:
• BMSB risk season dates as well as BMSB risk countries
• Includes Vehicles, machinery & parts that spend more than 5 days in a schedule 3 country before export
• Includes the possibility for some vehicles, machinery & spare parts being excluded from BMSB management when
Sealed within a fully enclosed sea container before 1 September 2020 and export before 1 October 2020, if evidence
of the container sealing is provided.
Mandatory Treatment
All sea cargo from Italy, with the exception of sensitive goods.
VMP from all other high-risk countries unless they have completed the MPI Declaration for each exempt shipment
Sensitive cargo from Schedule 3 countries & Italy may be subject to a MPI supervised unpack.
Circumstances where goods may not be subject to the seasonal measures:
- Containers packed & sealed prior to 1 September 2024 and shipped on board before 1 October 2024 (will require a timestamped photo of the sealed container to be presented to MPI).
- Goods stored or transported to non-target risk
Countries prior to 1 September (evidence required)
Treatment options
The approved treatment options for BMSB risk are:
- heat treatment,
- methyl bromide fumigation and
- sulfuryl fluoride fumigation.
For information on approved treatment rates, visit the Ministry for Private Industries website.
MPI Website:
MPI Approved Systems
A MPI-approved system is an option for meeting BMSB requirements specified in the VMP HIS. A MPI-Approved system must provide a high level of risk management against BMSB and other regulated pests. This can be achieved through various risk management measures, which you can carry out any time from when the vehicle or machine is manufactured, until the time
it arrives in New Zealand.
- A MPI-Approved System must manage the commodity to the standard required before arrival in New Zealand
- A comprehensive system overview must be presented to MPI for consideration as a MPI-Approved System
- A template including all aspects which must be considered and documented for the approval process is available on the MPI Website
- MPI verifies all systems to ensure they continually meet the approved outcomes
For more information, please refer to: https://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/importing/vehicles-and-machinery/forms-and-templates-for-importing-vehicles-machinery-or-equipment/
Goods shipped as a mixture of air & sea cargo
Where target high risk goods are shipped from a target risk country with a mixture of pathways, for example, air cargo to a non-target risk country, and then shipped from that non-target risk country as sea cargo to New Zealand, the seasonal measures apply to goods that arrive into New Zealand as sea cargo.
All other goods not listed
For all other goods that are not categorised, BMSB seasonal measures do not apply, however, these goods may be subject to the measures if they are part of a container or consignment that contains target high risk goods.
Further information
For the latest information regarding the 2024–2025 BMSB seasonal measures including preparing to import goods and what happens to goods on arrival, visit the BMSB seasonal measures webpage or contact your DB Schenker team of experts at au.dl.mel.bmsb-anz@dbschenker.com. All information is subject to change without notice as the season progresses and MPI’s collection of intelligence on risk profiles.
Be biosecurity aware
See. Secure. Report
Everyone has a role in protecting New Zealand’s biosecurity.
Many reports of suspected biosecurity concerns come from wharf workers, transport operators, Ship’s crew, stevedores, depot staff & importers who report their concerns to the department. These reports allow MPI to investigate and respond quickly to manage the risks and stop pests at the border.
If you see something that could have entered New Zealand with imported goods, report it to See. Secure. Report on 0800 80 99 66 or email bmsb@mpi.govt.nz
Contact the DB Schenker team of experts at au.dl.mel.bmsb-anz@dbschenker.com