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The taxable value of GST (Goods and Services Tax) for imported goods is the sum of following amounts:
(...) • The amount of levy paid or payable on goods under the Climate Change Response Act 2002.

Prohibitions and restrictions are regulated under Customs and Excise Act 1996, or legislation administered by the Government department responsible for particular controls. Some prohibitions/restrictions can be waived, subject to prior approval/exemption from relevant Government departments or agencies (e.g. MPI, Ministry of Health, Environmental Protection Authority, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) prior to importation for the prohibition/restriction to be waived. Some import prohibitions and restrictions are covered by import alerts on the NZCS computerized entry processing system and are subject to electronic compliance checks. These relate to agricultural products, food, chemicals, controlled drugs, explosives, firearms, hazardous waste, etc. A comprehensive list of these products and a description of related procedures is found on the NZCS website.

The current quantitative restrictions in force are implemented for various purposes, including: protection of public morals, compliance with domestic regulations and international conventions, or protection of public health. They include agricultural products, chemicals, endangered species, as well as a range of food products.

Since 2009, New Zealand has notified some 22 technical regulations (mandatory standards) to the WTO. They cover products in areas including environmental protection, human health, food standards, and products safety.

New organisms, including GMOs, are regulated through the 1996 Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. Under HSNO, all new organisms are prohibited from importation, development, field testing or release without formal approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is required to take into account various factors related to the potential risks and benefits of the proposal. These include environmental, economic, social, cultural, and public health considerations. The MPI ensures that the controls placed on new organism approvals by the EPA are complied with.

GMO foods and ingredients can only be sold in New Zealand if they have been assessed for safety and consequently approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has the capacity to adopt, or seek a review of the approval. MPI is also responsible for ensuring foods containing GMOs are labelled in accordance with the appropriate standard in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Table 3.9 Subsidy schemes, 2009-11
- Subsidy scheme: Environmental Certification Fund
- Purpose: Assist seafood industry to get independent environmental certification
- Form of assistance: Grants for up to 75% of the costs
- Duration: Ongoing
- Annual budget (2009/10) in NZ$: 1.937 million

In June 2012, New Zealand notified the WTO Committee on Agriculture about official financial support granted to kiwifruit growers to contain the spread of the fruit disease Psa (pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae) and help the industry recover. In December 2012, Psa was declared a medium-scale biosecurity event, meaning that kiwifruit growers severely impacted by Psa would be eligible for Rural Assistance payments under the Primary Sector Recovery Policy. The payment covered essential living expenses for maximum of 12 months (excluding loss of income, livestock, land or other production factors). The eligibility period ended in December 2013 and given strict eligibility criteria only a very limited number of kiwifruit growers received payments.

New Zealand has continued implementing schemes to improve sustainable management of resources, in particular water and land. The Community Irrigation Fund created in 2007 was superseded by the Irrigation Acceleration Fund (IAF) in 2011. The IAF also builds on the grants for irrigation-projects provided under the existing Sustainable Farming Fund. IAF is targeted at supporting up to 50% of the costs of strategic water management studies and the feasibility, design and uptake stages of major irrigation and water storage projects up to the "investment-ready" stage. It has a budget of NZ$35 million to be used over a period of five years.

In order to ensure the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources, commercial fishing in New Zealand has been regulated by a Quota Management System (QMS) since 1986. Box 4.1 describes the main features of the QMS. Currently, there are about 100 commercial species subject to the QMS. Commercial fishing of any non-QMS species not included on a specified list of the Fisheries Act 1996 is allowed.