NMFS Issues Notice on Certificate of Admissibility Requirements for New Zealand Seafood

The National Marine Fisheries Service is working with CBP and the government of New Zealand to deploy a sudden ban on imports of certain fish from the country in response to an order from the Court of International Trade (see 2211280053), it said in a notice released Dec. 16 outlining the new restrictions.

The CIT injunction banned imports of snapper, tarakihi, spotted dogfish, trevally, warehou, hoki, barracouta, mullet and gurnard from the set-net and trawl fisheries on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings for the fish -- some of which are not covered by species-specific tariff classifications – are listed by the NMFS on its website.

As previously announced, a certificate of admissibility requirement is being put into place for covered fish species harvested elsewhere in New Zealand or with fishing gear “not subject to the court-ordered embargo,” the NMFS said. “Fish or fish products imported to the United States from New Zealand under the designated HTS codes that are not subject to the import prohibition must be accompanied by Certification of Admissibility,” the NMFS said. The certificates and instructions are also available on the NMFS website.

“Absent Certification of Admissibility, entry filings under the specified tariff codes will be rejected,” the notice said. CBP “transmitted a user-defined rule to inspectors at affected ports of entry” on Dec. 5 “with instructions for port inspectors to examine entry filings from New Zealand under the specified tariff codes,” the NMFS said.

The NMFS is working with CBP on providing notice to the trade community on the new requirements, it said. In particular, the NMFS hopes to use CBP’s “internal and external messaging systems for such notification,” it said. Consultations with the government of New Zealand are also “needed to identify those officials authorized to certify shipments bound for the United States,” the agency said. “NMFS initiated these steps prior to the effective date of the embargo,” which was Dec. 5.