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Selling other packaged consumer goods in New Zealand

New Zealand has no general approval for consumer goods: businesses that make, import or sell them are responsible for their safety under consumer law. Some products must meet mandatory safety standards or are banned by unsafe goods notices. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Approval before sale
No government agency approves products for sale
General safety
Consumer Guarantees Act 1993: goods must be safe
Mandatory standards
Cots, baby walkers, bicycles, lighters, ladders and others
Who enforces
Commerce Commission in market; Customs at the border
Maximum fines
$600,000 for a company, $200,000 for an individual
Recall notification
MBIE, within 2 working days of going public

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which agency's rules apply to this kind of product, and does another guide cover it? Read more
  2. 2Is the product covered by a mandatory product safety standard? Read more
  3. 3Is it banned, or restricted, by an unsafe goods notice? Read more
  4. 4Are the claims, origin statements and any consumer information labels accurate? Read more
  5. 5Is the net quantity marked correctly, and does each package contain it? Read more
  6. 6If it proves unsafe, who recalls it and who is told? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

General product safety

The duties that apply to goods with no specific regulation.

  • The Consumer Guarantees Act requires goods supplied to consumers to be of acceptable quality, including safe, taking in likely use, foreseeable misuse and how the product is marketed, particularly to children.
  • There is no government agency in New Zealand that approves products for sale; anyone who makes, imports, distributes or sells products is responsible for their safety.
  • Overseas laws do not apply in New Zealand, and the fact that a product can be imported does not make it safe or compliant.
  • MBIE advises testing to the appropriate safety standard by an accredited laboratory, and Trading Standards recommends NZS ISO 10377:2017 for managing product safety.
  • Different agencies cover different products: Energy Safety for electrical and gas products, MPI for items in contact with food, the EPA for hazardous substances including cosmetics, and Medsafe for medicines and medical devices.
  • This guide covers other packaged non-food products; toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each product's test reports and safety evidence together, and shows which products have none. Ask about this

Mandatory product safety standards

Products with their own safety standard under the Fair Trading Act.

  • Product safety standards are set under section 29 of the Fair Trading Act and may cover a product's design, construction, tests and warnings.
  • Current standards cover baby walkers, bicycles, children's nightwear, children's toys, cigarette and utility lighters, household cots, multipurpose ladders and sunscreen.
  • Household cots, new and second-hand, must meet AS/NZS 2172:2003 with amendments, including bar spacing of 50 to 95 mm and, for new cots, warning labels and an information leaflet.
  • Baby walkers, new and second-hand, must meet the American standard ASTM F977-03, including stability tests and permanent warnings.
  • New bicycles must meet design and performance requirements and carry warning labels; novelty lighters are banned; multipurpose ladders meet Part 1 of the portable ladders standard.
  • Supplying goods that do not comply is an offence, with fines up to $600,000 for a company and $200,000 for an individual.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the independent test report each standard calls for with the product, and reads warning labels against it. Ask about this

Unsafe goods notices

Products the Minister has declared unsafe.

  • Under section 31 of the Fair Trading Act, the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs can declare goods unsafe by notice in the New Zealand Gazette; a notice lasts 18 months unless made permanent or ended earlier.
  • Current notices cover candles with lead in the wicks, chainsaws without a chain brake, rubber and PVC hot water bottles that do not meet the standard, some inclined infant sleep products, pistol crossbows without a safety catch, lead in toys and small high-powered magnet sets.
  • From 1 February 2027, certain toys and craft products containing sand must be tested for asbestos before supply.
  • Goods covered by a notice are prohibited imports under the Customs and Excise Act 2018 and can be seized.
  • Product safety policy statements, such as on button batteries and foam-filled furniture, give voluntary guidance and are reviewed every 5 years.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your range against the current notices and watches the list for changes. Ask about this

Claims and consumer information

What the Fair Trading Act requires of descriptions and labels.

  • The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading conduct about a product's nature, manufacturing process, characteristics, quantity, quality or origin.
  • A business needs reasonable grounds for a claim at the time it makes it.
  • Consumer information standards apply to some goods; for packaged non-food goods the most common is the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme, which covers new washing machines, dishwashers, lavatories, showers, taps and urinals, sold in store or online.
  • Goods intended for use outside New Zealand are exempt from the consumer information standards if they carry a statement saying so.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the claims on your packaging and listings against the evidence on file and flags any claim without it. Ask about this

Net quantity

Weights and measures rules for pre-packaged goods.

  • Packers, manufacturers, importers and retailers of pre-packaged goods label packages correctly, make sure they contain the stated net quantity, and use accurate, trade-approved equipment.
  • Goods sold by weight, measure or number are marked in metric units, prominently near the name, at least 2 mm high.
  • Under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement, goods made and lawfully sold in Australia can be sold in New Zealand.
  • Importers are advised to ask overseas packers to confirm compliance and to check quantity after arrival.

How we help: Compliant Always checks the quantity statement on your artwork and keeps fill records by lot. Ask about this

Recalls

When a product has to come off the market.

  • A recall may be needed where a product may cause injury, fails a safety standard or notice, has inadequate instructions or has a packaging or labelling fault.
  • The business leading a product safety recall notifies MBIE within 2 working days of making it public, unless the recall falls under other legislation and another agency; failing to notify is an offence.
  • The Minister can order a compulsory recall of unsafe goods.
  • Where a product has a safety issue, the Consumer Guarantees Act requires the business to put it right for the customer.

How we help: Compliant Always ties test reports and labels to production lots, so the scope of a recall can be read from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerMaking safe products that meet any standard or notice that applies.Test reports and specifications kept by product and lot.
ImporterBringing in goods that are not prohibited imports, with evidence of compliance.Suppliers' test reports read and dated before the goods arrive.
Retailer and online sellerSupplying safe goods, new or second-hand, with accurate descriptions.Compliance documents ready when a marketplace or the Commission asks.
PackerThe stated net quantity and its marking.Fill records kept by lot.

Questions businesses ask

Do consumer products need approval before sale in New Zealand?
No. There is no government agency in New Zealand that approves products for sale. Businesses are responsible for making sure their products are safe and meet any standard or ban that applies.
Which products have mandatory safety standards in New Zealand?
Baby walkers, bicycles, children's nightwear, children's toys, cigarette and utility lighters, household cots, multipurpose ladders and sunscreen. The Commerce Commission enforces them in market and Customs at the border.
What is an unsafe goods notice?
A ban the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs publishes in the Gazette under section 31 of the Fair Trading Act. It lasts 18 months unless made permanent, and covered goods are prohibited imports.
Which products are currently banned in New Zealand?
Notices cover lead candle wicks, chainsaws without a chain brake, non-compliant hot water bottles, some inclined infant sleep products, unsafe pistol crossbows, lead in toys and small high-powered magnet sets.
Do the cot rules apply to second-hand cots?
Yes. New and second-hand household cots must meet the standard, including cots offered for lease, rent or as gifts. Antique or collectible cots are excluded if they carry the required warning label.
Are product safety policy statements mandatory?
No. They give guidance where a mandatory standard or ban is not considered necessary, such as for button batteries and foam-filled furniture, and are reviewed every 5 years.
Can goods sold in Australia be sold in New Zealand?
Under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement, goods made and lawfully sold in Australia can generally be sold in New Zealand. Trading Standards notes this for weights and measures.
What are the penalties for supplying unsafe goods?
Supplying goods that breach a product safety standard or unsafe goods notice can bring fines up to $600,000 for a company and $200,000 for an individual.
Who must I tell about a product recall in New Zealand?
MBIE, within 2 working days of making the recall public, unless it falls under other legislation and another agency. Only the business leading the recall needs to notify.
Where are toys, electronics and textiles covered?
In their own guides, along with cleaning products and kitchenware. This guide covers the general rules for other packaged non-food products.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in New Zealand?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the Food Standards Code New Zealand shares with Australia. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in New Zealand and what your paperwork needs to show.

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