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DTR Sea Information

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A Domestic Transhipment Request (DTR) is required to move uncleared sea-freight from one approved facility (CCA/TF) to another approved facility.

  • The NZCS Collectors Permit will not be accepted by DTR Active Ports
  • The NZCS 203 Collectors Permit (DOCX, 91.5 KB) will be phased out once all New Zealand ports are DTR Active
  • Customs will update Procedure Statements in due course

Note: Customs may require containers to be moved under certain scenarios - such as Inspections. If you receive a permit for movement (NZCS 201/NZCS 202 or NZCS 508) or an email directly from Customs, you will be required to accept this and release the goods in your system as per instructions.

Active Ports

FAK movements from Port to CCA/TF

The following ports are 'DTR Active'. DTRs must be submitted to release uncleared FAK containers from the port to your CCA/TF:

  • Port of Tauranga
  • Ports of Auckland
  • Lyttelton Port
  • Napier Port
  • Port Taranaki
  • Port of Mt. Maunganui
  • Timaru Port
  • Northport
  • Nelson Port
  • CentrePort
  • Port Otago
  • South Port

DTRs for Port-to-Port transhipments via sea

The following ports are 'DTR Active'. A DTR is required to tranship uncleared cargo from Port-to-Port via sea for Shipping Companies that are DTR compliant

  • Port Taranaki
  • Port of Mt Maunganui
  • Ports of Auckland
  • Port of Tauranga
  • Napier Port
  • Timaru Port
  • Northport
  • Lyttleton Port
  • Nelson Port
  • CentrePort
  • Port Otago
  • South Port

DTR compliant shipping companies

  • Hamburg Süd
  • CMA CGM
  • APL
  • ANL
  • OOCL
  • Matson South Pacific Limited
  • Toyofuji Shipping
  • Neptune Pacific Direct Line
  • Transam New Zealand
  • Maersk Shipping
  • Cosco
  • Hapag Lloyd
  • ZIM
  • McKay Shipping
  • MSC
  • Swire Shipping

Uncleared LCL consignments from CCA/TF to CCA/TF

A DTR will be required for the movement of devanned LCL consignments from CCA/TF to CCA/TF.

If you receive the following error: “TF/CF specified as Transit Destination must be approved for containers”. The DTR will be unable to be submitted. You are permitted to use your Collectors Permit to move these consignments in this instance. This is a known issue that will be resolved in the near future.

What you need to do

Please contact your software provider for information on whether a DTR message is available in your existing ICR message set. 

For more information on DTRs and to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) visit Domestic Transhipment Requests.

Training Guides

For FAQs visit the FAQ webpage.

When to Submit a DTR vs ITR

Download the guide (PDF 976 KB) outlining when to submit a DTR, ITR or IPI Lodgement for the movement of container(s)/cargo that are to be internationally trans-shipped but may have to enter New Zealand prior to being exported.

Requirements for DTR Compliance

Shipping Companies

DTR Sea - Requirements for Shipping Companies v1.0 (PDF 754 KB): this pertains to the changes required to implement Domestic Transhipment Requests for Sea Containers moving from Port to Port via sea.

Port Companies

  • DTR Sea Container Requirements for Ports V2 (PDF 414 KB): The purpose of this document is to inform port operators (and software providers to port operators) of the rules and associated logic which can be used to interpret the movement response from MPI and Customs to ensure the correct action is applied to the container.
  • DTR Technical requirements for Breakbulk for Ports (PDF 416 KB) and DTR Sea - Requirements for Breakbulk (PDF 74 KB): The purpose of these documents is to inform port operators (and software providers to port operators) of the DTR rules and associated logic which must be used to interpret the movement response to ensure that correct action is applied to breakbulk cargo.

What is DTR Sea?

A Domestic Transhipment Request (DTR) is a request to move uncleared cargo from one approved facility to another approved facility. This is required for any point-to-point movement.

An approved facility must be both a CCA and a Transitional Facility. 

A DTR can be submitted using Trade Single Window (TSW Online) or a Software System that interfaces with TSW. Like other TSW messages, DTRs can be approved, declined or held.

DTRs intent is to replace the current manual approval systems for domestic transhipments i.e.:

  • Customs ‘Continuing Permission (Collectors Permit) and a hard copy ‘Permit to Remove’ for movement in NZ ‘under bond’.
  • We use DTR instead of Biosecurity Authority Clearance Certificate (BACC) applications to move uncleared cargo. A BACC is not issued for DTR movements, it will be in the form of TSW notifications (Email or B2B) and ‘MPI Lodgement status and Directions Document’.

A DTR is part of the Inward Cargo Report (ICR).

TSW Electronic Notification Scenarios

This document is a guide to aid industry in understanding how to notify the right parties electronically using Trade Single Window.  

TSW Electronic Notification Scenarios (PDF, 4 MB)

DTR fees

Currently no fees are charged where an ICR is submitted to only request a DTR movement. Charges still apply to ICRs that include write-offs and Carrier ICRs. Refer to Goods Clearance Fees on this website.