In accordance with sections 23 and 24 of the Meat Board Act 2004 (“Act”), the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB) has resolved to establish a new quota allocation system in anticipation of a new quota market coming into existence in the United Kingdom (UK).

The UK will exit the European Union (EU) Customs Union and Single Market at the expiry of the transition period as defined in article 126 of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (19 October 2019) (“UK Exit”). Currently the transition period is set to expire on 31 December 2020, but this notice is drafted to take into account the possibility of the transition period being extended.

Upon the UK Exit, New Zealand’s tariff rate quota (TRQ) access for sheepmeat and goatmeat and high quality beef into the EU will be split between the EU and UK. Both EU and UK have notified new schedules to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) representing New Zealand’s future tariff rate quota access into the EU and UK.

The New Zealand Meat Board (“Board”) does not accept the legality of the quota apportionment approach taken by the EU and the UK.

Nonetheless, while New Zealand goes through the process of challenging the legality of the UK and EU approach, the Board is required to establish allocation mechanisms for the new UK Sheepmeat and Goatmeat and UK High Quality Beef Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) when the UK Exit occurs.

The allocation mechanisms the Board will put in place for the UK Sheepmeat and Goatmeat and UK High Quality Beef TRQs will mirror, mutatis mutandis, the existing quota allocation mechanisms for the EU Sheepmeat and Goatmeat and EU High Quality Beef TRQs administered by the Board under the Act.

The Board has agreed these new allocation mechanism systems pursuant to sections 23 and 24 of the Act.

The UK Sheepmeat and Goatmeat and UK High Quality Beef TRQ allocation mechanisms will come into effect upon the UK Exit, with the volume of quota to be allocated for any part-year to be in accordance with quota availability data provided by the UK and/or EU.

In the event the allocation mechanisms become operable, manuals containing the newly established UK Sheepmeat and Goatmeat and UK High Quality Beef allocation mechanisms will be available on the Board’s website: www.nzmeatboard.org.

Dated at Wellington this 17th day of November 2020.

D. HARRISON, General Manager – Quota and Information, New Zealand Meat Board.