New Zealand and the United Kingdom (UK) negotiated a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the latter part of 2021 and signed the FTA on 28 February 2022. The FTA created a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) for select beef products originating in New Zealand. In anticipation of ratification and implementation processes being concluded by New Zealand and United Kingdom Parliaments the New Zealand Meat Board (“Board”) has developed an allocation mechanism which will apply to the administration of the UK FTA Beef TRQ (Quota Allowance Allocation System (“Allocation System”)).

The Allocation System is established by the Board pursuant to its powers under the Meat Board Act 2004 (“Act”), in particular, Part 3.

On 20 September 2022, the Board agreed to the Allocation System for UK FTA Beef TRQ pursuant to section 23 of the Act. Under the agreed terms of the FTA and pursuant to section 24 of the Act the Allocation System specifies:

• the products to which it applies, being meat covered by the following CN codes: 0201.10.00, 0201.20.20, 0201.20.30, 0201.20.50, 0201.20.90, 0201.30.00, 0202.10.00, 0202.20.10, 0202.20.30, 0202.20.50, 0202.20.90, 0202.30.10, 0202.30.50, 0202.30.90, 0206.10.95, 0206.29.91, 0210.20.10, 0210.20.90, 0210.99.51, 1602.50.10, 1602.50.31, 1602.50.95, 1602.90.61, and 1602.90.69;
• the quantity of products to which it applies, being 12,000 tonnes (net weight) in Year 1, increasing by 2,980 tonnes (net weight) annually until Year 10. From Year 11 onwards, the quantity of products is unlimited (with safeguards applying until Year 15);
• the country or group of countries where the relevant quota market exists, being the United Kingdom;
• the tariff rate applying to each product concerned, which is zero (duty free) for ‘in quota’ imports; and
• other administration mechanisms.

The Allocation System will come into effect for Quota Year 1 of the UK-NZ FTA for UK FTA Beef TRQ which is anticipated to come into force in 2023.

A Quota Manual comprising the complete Allocation System is available at https://www.nzmeatboard.org/quotas/uk-fta-beef/quota-manual/ or by contacting info@nzmeatboard.org

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of November 2022.

N. BEEBY, General Manager – Quota and Information, New Zealand Meat Board.