Customs legislation change positive for business and public alike

The Customs and Excise Act 2018 replaces the current outdated and much-amended 1996 Act and uses modern language that is easier to understand and interpret.

Customs spokesperson Terry Brown says the new Act was a collaborative effort.

“We have worked closely with the import/export sector, as well as the broader business community, in the past five years to shape the legislation and make it easier for traders to meet border requirements.

“There are new services and initiatives arising from the Act, including the ability to apply to store business records outside New Zealand or in the cloud, a new valuation rulings service, and the ability to seek reviews of Customs’ assessments directly from Customs. Many of the new changes will result in time and cost savings.

“The travelling public is unlikely to notice much difference at the border, with existing provisions reconfirmed or clarified.”

Customs processes more than 13 million passengers a year, 14.4 million trade transactions and collects $13 billion in revenue for the Crown.