Business. Scoop » New Zealand Risks Falling Behind As EU Commits To Welfare Standards For Imports
Press Release – Animal Policy InternationalAnimal Policy International says the EU’s move confirms that welfare-based import requirements are continuing to be a feature of trade policy. New EU Livestock. . .
Press Release – Animal Policy InternationalAnimal Policy International says the EU’s move confirms that welfare-based import requirements are continuing to be a feature of trade policy. New EU Livestock Strategy commits the Commission to pursuing welfare requirements for imports, as similar proposal for New Zealand still awaits Government actionNew Zealand risks falling behind international trade policy developments on import standards, after the European Commission adopted an EU Livestock Strategy that commits to requiring imported animal products to meet its animal welfare standards. The EULivestock Strategystates that reciprocal requirements should apply to imported animal products, delivered through the revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation and through trade agreements, in line with World Trade Organisation rules. Legislative proposals covering layer hens and broiler chickens are expected by the end of 2026, with proposals on pigs to follow in the second quarter of 2027. Animal Policy International says the EU’s move confirms that welfare-based import requirements are continuing to be a feature of trade policy. Parliament banned sow stalls in 2016 and battery cages in 2023, yet products from these systems continue to be imported and sold alongside New Zealand-produced goods. Over 60% of the pork sold in New Zealand is imported, with most of it coming from countries that still use sow stalls. Most imported liquid eggs, used in food manufacturing, come from countries that still allow battery cages. Farmers in favourWalt Cavendish, of Farming With Walt, said:“European farmers are getting an assurance that imports will have to meet the same standards they do. Kiwi farmers deserve the same. We’re proud to farm to some of the highest welfare standards, but that pride doesn’t pay the bills when you’re being undercut by imports produced in ways that would be illegal here. It’s time for a level playing field. ”“I support New Zealand’s animal-welfare standards and the farmers who have invested in meeting them. Those farmers should not then be undercut by imported pork, chicken and egg products produced under systems that are not permitted here. Requiring equivalent welfare outcomes for imports would support both fair competition and the integrity of New Zealand’s standards. ”said Robert Hickson, New Zealand farmer. Curia Market Research polling released in May found 78% of New Zealand farmers agree imported animal products should be required to meet New Zealand’s welfare standards, in line with Horizon Research polling showing over 80% of the public agree. “If the EU can do this, then so can New Zealand”Rainer Kravets, Co-Executive Director of Animal Policy International, said:“The EU has confirmed what independent legal analysis and precedent have consistently found – applying domestic welfare standards to imports is practical, WTO-compatible and increasingly the direction of travel. If the EU can do this then so can New Zealand. With an election this year, parties have a clear opportunity to say where they stand. ”The EU is one of New Zealand’s largest trading partners, with a free trade agreement in force since 2024. California’s Proposition 12 and the EU’s direction of travel show major producers adapt when clear standards are set, without triggering retaliation. TheAnimal Products (Closing the Welfare Gap) Amendment Bill, a member’s bill lodged by MP Steve Abel and currently in the biscuit tin, is one mechanism to deliver the policy. The Government could also take the approach forward directly. About Animal Policy International:Animal Policy International is a New Zealand charity working on trade and farmed animal policy. It works with NGOs, policymakers and industry to ensure animal welfare standards set domestically are also reflected in imported products. More at animalpolicyinternational. org. The EU Livestock Strategy:The EU Livestock Strategy was adopted by the European Commission on 7 July 2026. It commits to introducing WTO-compatible reciprocity conditions for imports and names two vehicles for equivalent animal welfare requirements for imported products: the revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation, and the EU’s trade agreements. Legislative proposals on layer hens and broilers are expected by the end of 2026, and on pigs in Q2 2027. (Strategy page; Commission press release)Animal Policy International’s analysis of the EU Livestock Strategy is available here. The strategy builds on the EU’s February 2025 Vision for Agriculture and Food, which stated that future legislative proposals would apply the same standards to products produced in the EU and those imported from third countries. The proposed New Zealand policy:The proposal would require imported animal products sold in New Zealand to meet the welfare standards New Zealand applies to its own farmers). A full explainer is available here. The Animal Products (Closing the Welfare Gap) Amendment Bill, a member’s bill lodged in May 2025 by Green MP Steve Abel and currently in the biscuit tin, would enable the Minister to set animal welfare standards for animal products sold in New Zealand, with regulations on pigs and hens required within two years. Legal advice indicates that under international trade rules New Zealand can restrict imports that don’t meet its own standards. Analysis of New Zealand’s free trade agreements found nothing that would prevent the policy. Key facts:Current import statistics: According to the latest statistics from NZ Pork, the share of imports of New Zealand pork consumption in 2024–25 was 63. 3%, up from 61. 9% in 2023–24 and 60. 4% in 2022–23. (Source: NZ Pork Annual Reports)Economic analysis: A report by Animal Policy International found the policy could increase domestic pork output by $17. 2–29. 0 million. Practicality: The countries supplying New Zealand already produce far more stall-free pork than New Zealand needs the United States around 176 times more, Germany around 251 times. Trade with New Zealand is less than 2% of production for every major pork exporter. The estimated cost to consumers is around 25 cents per person per week. Polling: Curia Market Research polling of 1,000 New Zealand farmers (April 2026, commissioned by Animal Policy International) found 78% agree imported animal products should be required to meet New Zealand’s animal welfare standards. Horizon Research polling has consistently found over 80% of New Zealanders agree. Content Sourced fromscoop. co. nzOriginal url