5 days ago
Natural Health Sector Says Export Label Fix Can't Wait For Review
The $2.3 billion natural health products sector says the Regulation Ministry's review of labelling requirements is welcome, but a fix for the country's broken rules for exporters is urgent and must happen immediately.
Currently, manufacturers of dietary supplements are held back by arcane labelling requirements that make it costly and in some cases impossible to export these products to many overseas markets.
Natural Health Products NZ has long advocated for a simple exemption for dietary supplement exports, as is common around the world.
'This government has committed to kickstarting the economy and growing exports,' Natural Health Products NZ director of government relations Samantha Gray said. 'As a high-value export industry, the natural health products sector desperately wants to do exactly that. But we're being held back by outdated regulations.
'It has never been more urgent to fix this internal barrier to trade than now. New Zealand exporters have just been slapped with a 15% tariff into the US. Our Aussie neighbours only have a 10% tariff and they already have export exemptions for their dietary supplements.
'If we don't act now, our sector risks falling behind and that risks impacting jobs across high tech manufacturing, growers and producers and the research ecosystem.
'Our message to the Government is by all means do this review, but our sector can't wait months or years, we just need the solution now. We all know what the solution is, we just need to get this fixed."
'With a few simple amendments to regulations to create an export-only exemption, our sector will be able to access, and grow in, large and emerging markets like South East Asia and the Middle East. This will unlock more than half a billion dollars in export growth each year for wellness products.
'We call upon the government to move forward with urgent amendments to permit exported supplements to comply with overseas market access requirements for labelling, composition and health claims.'
Natural Health Products NZ is the peak industry body whose members range from small businesses to companies employing thousands of New Zealanders, across manufacturing, distribution, research and retail. Our members include New Zealand's most trusted natural health products suppliers and brands. The industry contributes over $2.3 billion to the economy with more than $650 million coming from global exports.
