Primary Products, Manufacturing (excludes F&B):
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Prepared by the Trade Policy Negotiations Division, Trade Policy Engagement and Implementation Division and the Economic Division in Wellington.
Rāpopoto – Summary
- Exporters are encouraged to register with the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) ePing alert system(external link), if they wish to receive notification of new Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures being implemented in individual WTO member economies.
- The ePing system is a useful tool to ensure businesses are aware of any measures that may affect them. Businesses are encouraged to contact MFAT (exports@mfat.govt.nz) if they have questions or concerns about any particular notification.
Pūrongo – Report
ePing is a free online web service run by the WTO Secretariat to provide businesses and governments with information on any new regulations, conformance requirements, or standards relating to TBT and SPS measures. As relevant measures are “notified” to the WTO (by the national notification authority of a Member economy), ePing compiles and distributes these notifications to registered users as alerts. Such notifications generally include a minimum consultation period of 60 days.

ePing allows users to easily track notifications for different products or export markets by registering to receive customised email alerts. Users may customise email alerts so they only receive notifications relevant to specific export products or markets, and specify the frequency of alerts. Previous notifications may be accessed through manual searches. Exporters can sign up to receive only notifications relating to specific HS codes or product names, meaning they will receive only directly relevant information and alerts.
ePing alerts enable businesses to remain informed of new regulations, conformance requirements, and standards in the markets they export to. They allow effective and timely communication of measures with potential to create barriers to trade.
Alerts enable exporters to understand proposed measures and/or adapt to changing regulatory conditions. Early identification of potentially problematic TBT or SPS measures and communication with MFAT and relevant domestic agencies can also position New Zealand to raise concerns in the WTO TBT and SPS Committees and/or directly with FTA partners. If exporters have questions or concerns about a particular notification, they are encouraged to raise these through www.tradebarriers.govt.nz(external link) or by emailing exports@mfat.govt.nz.(external link)
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) also closely monitors SPS and TBT alerts that relate to primary products for which they have responsibility. It works with MFAT’s overseas Posts, including the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the WTO in Geneva, to follow up on any notifications of potential concern.
The WTO has been making improvements to the ePing platform by integrating other SPS and TBT online tools. The aim is to allow users from the public and private sectors to search and follow-up on SPS and TBT notifications, register to receive alerts on notifications relating to products or markets of interest, search for Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) discussed in the SPS and TBT committees, and check contact details of national contact points among other options.
External links
Please see the TBT Enquiry Point webpage (external link) for instructions on how to register for ePing alerts.
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Disclaimer
This information released in this report aligns with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. The opinions and analysis expressed in this report are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views or official policy position of the New Zealand Government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Government take no responsibility for the accuracy of this report.