Australia and New Zealand treat imported plant products as a biosecurity matter first and a food matter second. To import spices to Australia from India, you check the import conditions for each product before you buy. To import Indian groceries into New Zealand, you check the import health standards of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Both countries can require treatment, certificates and inspection that other markets do not.
Australia: check conditions before you order
Australia's Department of Agriculture publishes import conditions in its Biosecurity Import Conditions system, known as BICON. Search by product and country, and read the conditions for the exact item, such as cumin seed, whole chilli or dried herbs. Seed-based and whole plant products can face tighter controls than ground or processed ones. Some need a phytosanitary certificate, some need treatment, and some need an import permit.
Food safety is a second layer. Imported food must meet the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and the Imported Food Inspection Scheme may inspect or test shipments based on risk category. Check the current categories on the Department's site.
New Zealand: import health standards and registration
New Zealand's MPI sets import health standards for plant products, and imports of food are governed by food law with its own requirements for importers. Check the standard for your product, and ask MPI or a licensed broker whether you must register or hold a permit. Labelling requirements, including country of origin for some products, follow New Zealand food rules.
What this means for your supplier
Biosecurity rules put work on the exporter. Plan for these items with your supplier:
- A phytosanitary certificate issued by India's plant protection authority for the shipment. See phytosanitary certificates from India.
- Fumigation or other treatment when the destination requires it, with a certificate that names the treatment. Read when a fumigation certificate is required.
- Clean containers and packing, free from soil, seeds, insects and untreated wood. Wooden pallets and dunnage usually need to meet international treatment standards.
- Documents that match the goods exactly. A mismatch can mean extra inspection, treatment at your cost or re-export.
Duty, GST and timing
Duty depends on tariff classification and any trade agreement. Both countries have trade arrangements with India that change over time, so check with the Australian Border Force or New Zealand Customs rather than relying on a supplier. Allow extra time for inspection and treatment on arrival. We do not state figures.
Next step
Also ask your supplier how pallets and cartons are made. Untreated wood, loose soil on bags or live insects in a container can lead to treatment, re-export or destruction at your cost, and these problems are usually avoided at the factory rather than at the port.
Ask your supplier for photographs of the container and pallets before sealing, and keep them with the certificates. In biosecurity inspections, clean packing and matching documents are the quickest way to avoid a hold or a treatment order.
As importer, the legal duty is yours. We help on the supplier side: choosing plants that can document treatment, checking samples and papers, and supervising loading. To plan an Australian or New Zealand shipment, book a free sourcing review. See also the document pack your broker will ask for.