New Zealand Publishes Order Amending the Imports and Exports Prohibition Order 
On September 7, 2026, New Zealand published the Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Prohibition Order (No 2) 2004 Amendment Order 2026. Under the Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Act of 1998, this order adds chlorpyrifos (CAS Registry Number: 2921-88-2), long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs), and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) to Schedule 1, Stockholm chemicals, of the Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Prohibition Order (No 2) 2004 (the Imports and Exports Prohibition Order). The addition of chlorpyrifos to Schedule 1 will take effect on July 8, 2027, and the addition of LC-PFCAs and MCCPs will take effect on December 16, 2026. Unless authorized by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the export of these three substances from New Zealand is prohibited from their respective effective dates. Furthermore, the order establishes new concentration limits for short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins as unintentional trace contaminants under Clause 8, Exemption for export of unintentional trace contaminants and for research, of the Imports and Exports Prohibition Order.
The three chemicals newly added to Schedule 1 are listed below.
Amendments to Schedule 1 (Newly Added chemicals)
Effective July 8, 2027
| Chlorpyrifos (CAS Registry Number: 2921-88-2) |
Effective December 16, 2026
| Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids and their salts, being a homologous series of substances with the molecular formula of CnF2n+1COOH (where 8 ≤ n ≤ 20)
Compounds related to long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, being any substance that is a precursor and may transform to long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, where the perfluorinated alkyl moiety— (a) has the formula CnF2n+1 (where 8 ≤ n ≤ 20); and (b) is directly bonded to any chemical moiety other than a fluorine, chlorine, or bromine atom |
| Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins, being substances that contain either or both of the following:
(a) linear chloroalkanes with carbon chain lengths in the range C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45% chlorine by weight: (b) linear C14–17 chloroalkanes of the molecular formula C14H(30−y)Cly (where y ≥ 5), C15H(32−y)Cly (where y ≥ 5), C16H(34−y)Cly (where y ≥ 6), or C17H(36−y)Cly (where y ≥ 6) |
Of the three chemicals mentioned above, LC-PFCAs and MCCPs are added to Schedule 1 following the entry for lindane. Chlorpyrifos is inserted into Schedule 1 in its appropriate alphabetical order.
The contents of clause 8 amended by this order are shown below (changes are in bold).
Amendments to Clause 8
| Before Amendment (Current) | After Amendment (Effective from December 16, 2026) |
|---|---|
| The prohibition in clause 6 does not apply to the exportation of quantities of a Stockholm chemical that—
(a) are present as unintentional trace contaminants in products and articles; or (b) are to be used for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard. |
(1) The prohibition in clause 6 does not apply to the exportation of quantities of a Stockholm chemical that—
(a) are present as unintentional trace contaminants in products and articles; or (b) are to be used for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard. (a) short-chain chlorinated paraffins that occur in mixtures at concentrations greater than or equal to 1% by weight; or (b) medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs), if the total concentration of linear C14–17 chloroalkanes of any of the following molecular formulae that occur in substances or mixtures is greater than 3% by weight: (i) C14H(30−y)Cly (where y ≥ 5): (ii) C15H(32−y)Cly (where y ≥ 5): (iii) C16H(34−y)Cly (where y ≥ 6): (iv) C17H(36−y)Cly (where y ≥ 6).
Guidance note Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) to which the Stockholm Convention applies include substances or mixtures containing linear C14–17 chloroalkanes of 1 or more of the above molecular formulae. |
With the above amendments, new concentration limits are established for short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins as unintentional trace contaminants.
Reference
- Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Prohibition Order (No 2) 2004 Amendment Order 2026
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2026/266/en/latest/
