Customs Clearance support

The Secure Exports Scheme (SES) team can give partners help with a wide range of customs clearance problems, both in New Zealand and with overseas agencies. For help with any of the issues below contact us at ses@customs.govt.nz.

Examples of things we can help with:

• Exports held up in New Zealand – SES partners are given priority for any exams or document checks with Customs. If you’re having delays in NZ please let us know and we can make sure the system is tagging your goods as SES and that our teams are prioritising them.
• Trade disruptions – in the event of a TSW outage, port system outage or other trade disruption SES partner goods can be cleared faster. If you're having TSW issues, contact TSWusersupport@customs.govt.nz and cc ses@customs.govt.nz. You can also monitor the current TSW status. Our TSW team update this page to show dates and times for routine maintenance.
• Major disruptions in overseas countries – during port disruptions in overseas MRA countries we work with our counterparts to ensure SES containers are given priority.
• Issues overseas - If your goods are being held by an overseas customs agency, or there has been an increase in exams at a particular port, we can reach out to our partner agencies to assist with clearance. (Note SES partners are not guaranteed nil interventions.) Example – we have helped multiple partner businesses whose goods were regularly being held up in an overseas country. Customs liaised with those countries to identify errors in documentation that caused the SES status of the companies not to be recognised. Customs updated the records held by us and the overseas country and allow the goods to start flowing uninterrupted again.
• Export transaction fees are not being discounted – if you notice your transaction fee discount is not being applied, contact us at ses@customs.govt.nz.
• Non-tariff trade barriers – Email us at ses@customs.govt.nz.