Information for the transport sector

On this page

‘Restricted ships’

New Zealand has imposed sanctions to restrict some ships and aircraft from entering New Zealand (see below). The Ministry of Transport has created specific guidance for the transport sector on sanctioned ships and aircraft.

Among other points, the guidance details which ships would be considered ‘restricted ships.’. However it notes, that not all ships flagged to Russia or Belarus are considered as ‘restricted ships’. By contrast, all aircraft registered in Russia or Belarus are automatically classified as ‘restricted aircraft’.

Restricted ships are restricted from entering a port in New Zealand, unless an exception applies. A New Zealand person may commit and offence under the Act if they, without lawful justification or excuse, knowingly or recklessly breach a sanction. A breach may occur if they: operate a restricted ship entering a port in New Zealand, unless an exception applies; or permit or authorise a restricted ship to enter a port in New Zealand, unless an exception applies.

Additional prohibitions

Where a ship or aircraft is owned or controlled by a sanctioned person, additional restrictions apply, including a prohibition on New Zealand persons dealing with the asset. See ‘Overview of Sanctions Against Russia’ for further information on these prohibitions.  

Oil Price Cap

The G7 Plus price cap on Russian-origin oil is relevant to the transport services sector. New Zealand is part of a coalition of countries implementing the G7 Plus price cap on Russian-origin oil. The oil price cap works by prohibiting services supporting the maritime transport of Russian-origin oil unless the oil was purchased at or below a specified price (called the G7 Plus price cap). 
 
New Zealand implemented the cap in April 2024 through the Russia Sanctions Regulations, prohibiting certain services in relation to maritime transport of Russian-origin oil and oil products unless the oil is purchased below the price cap. This applies even where there is no sanctioned person or business involved. The four prohibited services are brokering, financing, financial assistance and insurance. New Zealand has also imposed an import ban on coal, oil and gas products of Russian origin. See guidance note below for further information.

Note that the European Union has subsequently revised the oil price cap to implement a dynamic price cap mechanism. As of July 2025 New Zealand has not moved to a dynamic approach.

Guidance and useful links

Top

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to analyse our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. You can find out more information on our Privacy Page.