12414 (2026). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister of Customs

12414 (2026). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister of Customs: In what ways, if any, does Customs New Zealand account for illicit tobacco product trafficking potentially arriving in ports in which no official from Customs New Zealand is present, if there are any?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised that the Customs risk assesses 100 percent of goods entering New Zealand using a layered and multi-faceted approach, focusing efforts on risk and non-compliance to enable compliant goods to cross the border without delay. This approach includes working with international partners to identify potential smuggling attempts at their source or en route and collaborating with domestic agencies such as the Ministry for Primary Industries and Immigration New Zealand to coordinate border responses. At ports without a permanent Customs presence, officers attend based on risk assessments of arriving vessels and cargo and will travel to those ports where inspection or enforcement activity is required. All Customs Controlled Areas (CCAs) that are licenced for the purpose of importing and exporting goods have security obligations which are set out in the CCAs’ procedure statements.