tradingstandards.mbie.govt.nz
Who we are
Trading Standards is a leading regulator
responsible for protecting New Zealand
consumers by keeping our marketplace free from
unsafe and non-compliant products.
Our mission is to help grow New Zealand for all,
by ensuring New Zealanders have safe products,
accurate measurement and quality fuel.
Trading Standards is an operational unit in the
Consumer Protection and Standards branch of the
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
What we do
Trading Standards has three areas of responsibility:
Legal
Metrology
(accurate weights and
measures for trade)
Fuel
Quality
Monitoring
Consumer
Product
Safety
Our work in these three areas aims to:
→→ protect consumers and keep them safe
→→ build consumer and business confidence
→→ provide a level ‘playing field’ for business
→→ support domestic and international trade
Legal
Metrology
(Accurate weights and measures for trade)
Trading Standards administers and enforces
New Zealand’s system of trade measurement,
making sure that weighing and measuring
equipment and the quantity in packaged goods
is accurate. Effective trade needs transparency
and a balance of information and trust between
traders and consumers. The work of Trading
Standards provides important controls needed
for accurate measurement that support
domestic and international trade.
MEASUREMENT ACCURACY
EFFECTIVE TRADE
(Behind the scenes)
(in the marketplace)
Law (Weights and
Measures Act)
Internationally
accepted test methods
Accurate physical
standards used to
test instruments
Internationally agreed
Units of Measurement
(kilogram, litre, metre)
New Zealand physical
standards linked to
international standards
All measuring equipment
used for trade is approved
Consumer confidence
in measurements
Training /education for
business and industry
Our work in more detail
In the Legal Metrology area, Trading
Standards:
• Administers and enforces the Weights
and Measures Act and Regulations
ensuring that they are consistent with
international best practice.
• Facilitates trade by maintaining strong
national and international connections
with:
• Standards, Accreditation and
Metrology Group
• Measurement Standards Laboratory
• National Measurement Institute
(Australia)
• International Organisation of Legal
Metrology (www.oiml.org )
• Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum
(www.aplmf.org)
• Accredits private sector companies
and individuals (known as ‘Accredited
Persons’) to test and confirm that
accuracy of weighing and measuring
equipment.
• Encourages businesses to comply
with legislation when weighing and
measuring or packaging goods,
by using market surveillance and
enforcement.
• Provides metrology laboratory services
to make sure physical standards
used by trade and industry to test
weighing and measuring equipment
are accurate. These laboratories are
accredited to ISO 17025 and their work
provides a direct link to international
standards.
• Approves all weighing and measuring
equipment before it is used by traders
to make sure the equipment produces
accurate results.
• Investigates and responds to
complaints and enquiries from
consumers and businesses.
• Advises businesses and industry about
weighing and measuring processes
and techniques that make sure
measurement is accurate.
CONSUMERS
Accredited Persons confirm
accuracy of weighing and
measuring equipment
Enforcement and surveillance
of the marketplace and
Accredited Persons
BUSINESS
Fuel Quality
Monitoring
Trading Standards maintain and administer
the Fuel Quality Monitoring Programme. This
programme monitors the quality of retail fuel
in New Zealand and makes sure it complies
with specifications set out in the Engine
Fuel Specifications Regulations. Statistical
sampling is used to detect non-compliance.
The Regulations specify limits on a number
of critical properties for premium and regular
petrol grades, diesel, and biofuels such as
biodiesel and ethanol.
Because the main focus of the Programme is
to sample and test the quality of fuels as they
are sold to consumers, sampling is done from
dispenser nozzles at the point of sale.
TRADING
STANDARDS
Our work in more detail
In the Fuel Quality area, Trading Standards:
• Tests fuel samples for statistical
sampling, targeted projects or in
response to emerging issues.
• Responds to consumer and trader
complaints and enquiries.
• Develops projects in response to
emerging issues.
• Contributes to work on regular
amendments to the Engine Fuel
Specifications Regulations.
• Maintains strong and effective
relationships (as regulator) with fuel
company technical managers.
Consumer
Product Safety
Trading Standards oversees consumer
product safety in New Zealand. We regulate
the safety of a wide range of consumer
products, excluding food, medicines, energy or
vehicle products (which are handled by other
government agencies). Our work includes
investigating national and international
emerging product safety issues. We also work
to reduce significant risks and hazards that
products may pose to New Zealand consumers.
The Minister of Consumer Affairs has specific
powers (under the Fair Trading Act) to
implement mandatory recalls, ban products
with Unsafe Goods Notices, and set Product
Safety Standards. These measures are
enforceable by the Commerce Commission and
New Zealand Customs.
Our work in more detail
In the Consumer Product Safety area,
Trading Standards:
• Investigates and analyses data, and
gives advice to the Minister of Consumer
Affairs about emerging product safety
issues and the application of Minister’s
Fair Trading Act powers.
• Maintains strong national and
international stakeholder relationships
with organisations such as:
• Australia / New Zealand Product
Standards Committees (eg children’s
toys, household cost, prams and
strollers and pedal bicycles)
• International Consumer Product
Health and Safety Organization and
International Consumer Product
Safety Caucus
Risk
management
Assessing
new product
technologies
Alertness and
monitoring
• Prepares advisory and guidance material
and resources for consumers and
business to promote product safety.
• Monitors emerging product safety risks
and issues and implements appropriate
responses.
• Undertakes market surveillance,
including visiting traders and suppliers,
and sampling and testing products.
• Monitors and responds to product
safety recall notices posted by overseas
regulators and reported by businesses.
• Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission and Product Safety
Consultative Committee (Australia)
Investigations
and interventions
• business and trade organisations
such as the New Zealand Retailers
Association and the Employers and
Manufacturers Association.
• Investigates and responds to consumer
and trader complaints and enquiries.
• safety regulators – Ministry of
Health, Commerce Commission,
Environmental Protection Authority,
Ministry for Primary Industries
Recalls
• General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine (China)
• Provides advice on product safety
recall notices to ensure maximum
effectiveness.
National
networking
ELEMENTS
OF PRODUCT
SAFETY
Standards
Consumer
awareness
Consistent with
international
best practice
Testing
Business
responsibility
Contact us
General enquiries
(or to report an unsafe product, make a weight
or measure or fuel quality complaint):
Phone: 04 474 2750
Fax: 04 494 0290
From New Zealand: Freephone 0508 627 774
From overseas: Phone 00 64 3 962 2580
Website: tradingstandards.mbie.govt.nz
Office locations
NORTHERN REGION
Our office, laboratory, and workshop for
this region are at:
SOUTH ISLAND REGION (CHRISTCHURCH)
502 Rosebank Road
PO Box 19543
Avondale
Auckland 1746
MBIE Business Service Centre
55 Wordsworth Street
Private Bag 4714
Sydenham
Christchurch 8023
CENTRAL REGION
Our Head Office is at:
PO Box 1473
86 Customhouse Quay
Wellington 6140
Our laboratory and workshop for this
region are at:
Measurement Standards Laboratory
Industrial Research Limited
Mackay Building
69 Gracefield Road
Seaview
Lower Hutt
Our office, laboratory, and workshop for
this region are at:
MB 12592.1
tradingstandards.mbie.govt.nz