A review of New Zealand’s Customs and Excise Act 1996 (“the previous Act”) commenced in 2013, to address parts of the previous Act that dated up to 100 years old. After extensive discussions with stakeholders and industry professionals, the new Customs and Excise bill was introduced in November 2016. On the 22 March 2018, it passed its third reading in Parliament and has now received Royal assent.
Why the change?
As mentioned, the previous Act was, in many respects, outdated and in need of review. The Customs and Excise Act 2018 (“the Act”) will enable the New Zealand Customs Service (“NZ Customs”) to keep up with the rapid changes in international trade, travel, security, and technology.