Border wait reducing from 24-hours to minutes

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says from early next year traders will be able to register directly with the Joint Border Management System (JBMS) to manage their own information online in real time.

“The Trade Single Window component of JBMS allows traders to submit shipment details electronically to a single point of contact, instead of dealing with multiple government agencies,” Ms Wagner said.

“Trade Single Window self-service registration will reduce what is currently a 24-hour service down to minutes in many cases. This will be piloted in February 2015 before being released to the wider industry.”

The Trade Single Window has been up and running since 1 August 2013 and has handled over 1 million transactions.

In October, 58.9% of all inward border transactions and 100% of outward transactions were processed via Trade Single Window.

The Minister provided the update on the rollout of self-service registration at a Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders (CBAFF) stakeholders meeting.

“New Zealand is a trading nation, and the government works closely with industry to manage the border and facilitate trade.

“It is great to see traders progressively moving to the Trade Single Window, saving them time and money,” Ms Wagner said.