The government's move to review New Zealand's product labelling system has been a welcome move for BusinessNZ.
BusinessNZ has welcomed the announcement by the Ministers for Regulation and Commerce and Consumer Affairs of a long-overdue review of New Zealand’s product labelling system.
BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich said the move has the potential to reduce unnecessary compliance costs for businesses and expand product choice for consumers.
"For years, businesses have raised concerns about the fragmented, outdated and overly prescriptive nature of current labelling rules, many of which are unique to New Zealand. These rules create cost and complexity without delivering additional benefit to consumers,” said Rich.
"Many imported products must be repackaged specifically for the New Zealand market. Others never make it to our shelves at all because the cost of bespoke production runs for our small population is simply uneconomic. That means fewer choices for Kiwi consumers.”
Rich said Business NZ hoped the review’s Terms of Reference would be ambitious and wide-ranging.
“Labelling is not just about what’s printed on a sticker, it’s about the entire packaging system. Bespoke New Zealand-only requirements, such as mandatory pack sizes or unique wording, often force manufacturers into inefficient short production runs that raise per-unit costs and restrict market entry,” she added.
"Businesses frequently cite excessive requirements for physical labels that lead to cluttered, unreadable packaging, while the current system offers little support for digital solutions like QR codes or digital product passports.”
Rich said a review was timely, as other countries are modernising their systems to enhance traceability, sustainability and access to product information, and New Zealand should not fall behind.
Business NZ supported moves to further align with key trading partners like Australia, increase mutual recognition of trusted international labelling standards and systems, and enable digital labelling options where appropriate. It would also like to see streamlined regulation and reduced agency duplication, and the system made more responsive to technology and change.
"We look forward to contributing to this important review. Getting it right means better outcomes for consumers, exporters, small businesses, and the wider economy."
More news here.
