New Zealand Proposes Amendments to Building Act to Facilitate Use of Overseas Building Products

New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has proposed amendments to the Building Act 2004 aimed at removing barriers to using high-quality overseas building products. The changes, outlined in a 74-page Cabinet paper, include enabling the recognition of international standards and certifications, streamlining the citation of these standards into a new regulatory instrument called the Building Product Specification, and mandating the acceptance of specified overseas products. These amendments are designed to lower consumer costs and enhance supply chain resilience. Stakeholders and WTO members are invited to submit comments by 7 August 2024. For further details, the Cabinet paper and related documents are available on the MBIE and Building Performance websites.

Notification: G/TBT/N/NZL/133