Proposed tariff concessions for fish oil and an electric airport vehicle
Customs invites written objections to two proposed tariff concessions: fish-oil imports for manufacturing and an electric airport vehicle. Notice 2026/27 lists 20 October as its objection deadline; its exact cutoff and participation conditions need checking.
- Closing date
- 20 October 2026
- Added to Civics
- 18 October 2026
- Source category
- Public service
- Source body
- New Zealand Customs Service
- Last checked
- 18 October 2026
Closes in 2 days
Plain-English summary
Customs invites written objections to two proposed tariff concessions: fish-oil imports for manufacturing and an electric airport vehicle. Notice 2026/27 lists 20 October as its objection deadline; its exact cutoff and participation conditions need checking.
Allow GMP Pharmaceuticals Limited to import up to 1,400,000 litres of specified fish oils for its own manufacturing use from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027. The notice lists the eligible oil types under tariff item 1504.20.09, application reference 312553L, category IM (inputs to manufacturing, inability to supply).
Allow Christchurch International Airport Limited to import one specified 2026 Rosenbauer Panther Electric 6x6 vehicle between 1 September and 31 October 2026. This is tariff item 8705.30.20, application reference 312554J, category CE (capital equipment).
A tariff concession removes the tariff duty that would otherwise apply to the specified goods. These are proposed concessions advertised for objections, rather than completed approval notices.
Check the cutoff wording, participation conditions and complete application schedule before submitting feedback.
Before approval, confirm the exact cutoff: the heading says 20 October, but the instructions say before 20 October and give no clock. Do not infer 5pm, midnight or a deadline calculated from the publication date.
The notice’s any-person wording and the general guidance about New Zealand producers/manufacturers need reconciliation before describing participation as unrestricted. This is a technical objection process, not a general preference survey.
The full schedule specifies many fish-oil types and a particular vehicle identifier; the proposal above is a summary. The applicants’ inability-to-supply grounds and commercial evidence have not been independently verified.
Suggested questions paraphrase the objection grounds and evidence requirements; they are not a separate official questionnaire.
Why it matters
The decisions could change the tariff treatment of specified imports and affect local suppliers competing with those goods.
Who may care
- Manufacturers, suppliers and industry associations with information about suitable New Zealand alternatives
- People following import duties and the treatment of manufacturing inputs and capital equipment
How to make a submission
- Read Tariff Concession (Advertisement) Notice 2026/27 and identify the application you wish to address. Its heading gives 20 October 2026 as the closing date, while the instructions say before 20 October. No closing time is printed: confirm the exact cutoff with Customs rather than assuming the whole closing day is available.
- The notice says any person wishing to object should do so in writing. Customs’ general guidance describes objections from New Zealand producers or manufacturers of suitable alternatives. Check your eligibility and the required grounds with Customs if you are unsure how those statements apply.
- The notice directs written objections to the Valuation, Origin and Classification section at voc@customs.govt.nz. Include notice 2026/27, the relevant tariff item and application reference: 312553L for fish oil or 312554J for the vehicle.
- Local New Zealand manufacturers should include the range of suitable alternatives they make, grounds for objection, present and potential output, and factory-cost details covering materials, labour, overheads and domestic/imported content.
- For further information needed to make a submission, the notice asks objectors to contact the applicant in writing and copy the enquiry to Customs, quoting the relevant notice and application details.
- Customs says it will usually disclose an objector’s name to the applicant. Tell Customs if you object to disclosure, but that does not prevent release of your name or other information where the law otherwise requires it. Read this warning before sending commercially sensitive information.
Disclaimer
Civics.nz is an independent plain-English guide and is not an official government website. Always check the official source before making a submission.