New Zealand

• Bill of Lading
• Invoice
• Export Certificate

When importing cars from Japan to New Zealand, MPI inspections and cleaning are mandatory to ensure all vehicles meet New Zealand’s strict biosecurity standards. This involves:

• Thorough Vehicle Inspection: Vehicles are carefully examined for any potential biological risks, such as dirt, plant material, or invasive species that may be present on the exterior, undercarriage, or within the vehicle.
• Cleaning & Treatment: If any contamination is found, vehicles undergo specialized cleaning processes, including steam cleaning or chemical treatments, to remove all traces of biosecurity threats.

• Every vehicle undergoes a pre-export biosecurity inspection in Japan by an approved agency, minimizing the risk of delays or rejections upon arrival in New Zealand.
• Vehicles are thoroughly cleaned and treated to meet MPI’s stringent biosecurity standards.
• All necessary documentation and certification related to MPI clearance is handled efficiently, ensuring a smooth import process.

By partnering with Nichibo, dealerships in New Zealand can confidently import vehicles without the hassle of managing complex compliance procedures, knowing that all biosecurity requirements are professionally handled.

Vehicle Compliance with NZ Standards

All vehicles imported must meet New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) standards, including:

• Emissions Compliance: Ensuring vehicles must adhere to NZ emission standards. 

The rules are here-

• Clean Car Standard (CCS): Introduced in 2023 to reduce CO2 emissions by charging importers for high-emission vehicles and offering credits for low-emission ones.
• CCS Charges (2025): $67.50 per gram of CO2 excess for new vehicles; $33.75 per gram for used vehicles.
• Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions 2007: Sets minimum exhaust emission standards, targeting harmful pollutants like NOx, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide.
• Vehicle Emissions Amendment (No.2) 2024: Proposes aligning NZ’s light vehicle emission standards with Australia’s to ease market entry and reduce modification needs.
• Vehicle Emissions Prediction Model (VEPM): Used by NZTA to estimate air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on public roads.

• receive a border inspection by an Approved Inspection Organisation either in New Zealand or Japan,
• Requires the importer to provide proof of entitlement to the vehicle. Export cert & invoice
• Clean Car standards: Imposes penalties or credits based on CO2 emissions.

The details are here-

Nichibo ensures full transparency by encouraging importers to create their own CCS CO2 accounts with Waka Kotahi (NZTA), allowing them to retain any earned credits or offset charges for high-emission vehicles. This approach protects importers from losing their credits, unlike some exporters who force importers to use their accounts.

For new vehicles, importers must be NZTA-approved certifiers and use the MIAMI system, which automatically allocates the CO2 account based on the VIN Notification files. The vehicle details are then updated in the NZTA Landata Motor Vehicle Register (MVR), syncing with the CCS CO2 system before the vehicle can receive a Warrant of Fitness (WoF).

For used vehicles, importers link the vehicle’s VIN or chassis number to their CO2 account via Fuelsaver, providing early visibility of CO2 values. Once the vehicle clears customs, its details appear in the importer’s CO2 account. Entry certifiers verify the vehicle’s compliance and CO2 data before it can be registered.

To avoid unexpected charges, Nichibo advises importers to use the CCS CO2 calculator in Fuelsaver to estimate potential penalties or credits before purchasing vehicles. This proactive approach ensures compliance with NZ’s emission standards while optimizing financial benefits for importers.