Burke Bros Answer:
As horses are not an endangered species, customs say there should not be a problem. Our best advice would be to just simply list the item as a rocking horse, without mentioning the horse hair element on the inventory.

Burke Bros Answer:
Quarantine is not interested unless the rocks are encrusted with soil, but Customs would be if you were importing in sufficient quantity that a commercial jewellery operation might be undertaken. If it is a bona fide collection of various types of amethyst collected because you are a collector of semi precious rock, then they wouldn’t be interested. So it is really the commercial potential or intention to pursue a commercial potential that would interest Customs.

Burke Bros Answer:
The Nunchaku’s are a restricted import and we are fairly sure the Sai are also. The Bo should be ok as this is actually just a staff without any kind of cutting edge. You will probably have to apply for a permit to import these items which may or may not be granted. You can always go to the customs website and check out the prohibited weapons. This shows the Nunchaku but not the other two. It describes the Sai in terms that make us think it will be restricted also.

Burke Bros Answer:
The dried flowers are fine as long as they are clean. As for the untreated wicker and other items, they could cause a red flag for inspection. Anything like that with a shellac on it is fine, but if it is untreated they may want to inspect it for bore/insect holes. These inspections will cause delays and additional charges.

Removers are having issues with jet skis, boats, fishing gear, waders, wetsuits, etc. and some of the treatment costs are proving to be quite high. One remover has, for instance, got a client with 2 x jet skis and one pontoon (for the jet skis) and the treatment cost on these was approx $2000.

Here is the link to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service advice website explaining more about this threat: http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/travel/entering-australia/advice_to_travellers_-_didymo

Burke Bros Answer:
Having spoken with our local Quarantine specialist team, they said they hadn’t heard of this product but they said it would depend how the seeds were impregnated in the paper. If it was part of a process whereby they were fixed therein by heat then they might not need treatment of any kind here. However they would need to see the product or maybe some digitals of it to really determine this. If treatment was required it would probably just be heat treatment and they thought that might be around $30.00 per box, however a discount might be negotiated for this quantity.

Burke Bros Answer:
Should be alright, but it may pay to take advice on whether to purge them.

Burke Bros Answer:
No problem. Technically, Customs could charge duty and GST (Goods and Services Tax) on this but we couldn’t say definitely that they would or would not. No problem with the Car Ramps.

Customer Question:
Can you take empty Butane Gas Cylinders in a Motor Home via Ro/Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off)

Burke Bros Answer:
No problem, but we suggest they be purged (more from an insurance point of view).
It is not necessarily a good thing to leave loose items in vehicles sent RoRo. A year or two back we had a campervan from the UK in which the client had left all the normal things you would find in one and he maintained that some things were not there when he took delivery. We believe that the RoRo shipping people do advise shippers not to leave loose items in vehicles.

Burke Bros Answer:
The container will be delivered to your depot for MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – New Zealand’s quarantine department) inspection after which we will deliver the container for destuffing.

Customer Question:
Can the vehicles arriving by RO/RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) be transferred to your depot for inspection by MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) at the same time or does this have to be arranged at Port?

Burke Bros Answer:
We think this could be done but the normal procedure is for it to be done at the port, where Quarantine of course, have an office and where they expect to do these inspections as a matter of course. Transferring the vehicles to our warehouse would have to be done under quarantine conditions and would be expensive. And that’s provided you could overcome Quarantine’s objections.

Customers Question:
During our last visit we were advised by local MAF representative to arrange steam cleaning in New Zealand as this would be done to the standards and would be accepted. Is this correct?

Burke Bros Answer:
We would suggest presenting them for shipment in as clean a condition as possible. This includes ensuring there is no organic matter, leaves, dirt, etc. inside the engine or boot compartments, wheel wells etc. If they are generally clean in this way they may not need to be cleaned again here, but if one or more does need cleaning this can be done at the port as required. However there is no need, in our opinion, for you to try and pre-arrange for them all to be done here. Once Customs and Quarantine procedures are completed you would have the choice of transporting the vehicles to your property at Snells Beach and from there arranging compliance inspection and registration. (It might be easier to arrange and do this progressively rather than try and do it while the vehicles are at the port – they would have to go off port for this and with so many it could be a high pressure operation to do all at once and with some attendant frustrations.

Customer Question:
With your local knowledge could you advise the best way to handle the two consignments?

Subject to your sending us all the required paperwork for the vehicles (UK registration documents, proof of ownership – original documents if possible, purchase invoices, freight costs for each – preferably invoices with these costs detailed) we should be able to have the Customs and Quarantine clearance paperwork all done prior to arrival of the vessels and assuming you are in New Zealand before this time, you will be able, hopefully, to be available to sign the Customs release forms. It is really helpful to have all this done by the time the vessel arrives. The paperwork we will need completed are:

-Application for Customs Client Code: Just one of these required. We will submit it to Customs. The number, when issued, can be retained by you and used for any other import/export transactions you may subsequently pursue.

-Unaccompanied personal baggage declaration – we will need one for each shipment, i.e. one for container and one for Ro/Ro.

-Vehicle import form – we need one for each vehicle and trailer (actually we could get by without these but they are really helpful especially when dealing with a number of vehicles and they help to keep things together, avoid confusion and ensure we have all the information required.

Burke Bros Answer:
Regarding Plasma TV’s, many are NTSC – PAL compatible, but you will have to check with the manufacturer to be sure. Some brands have not done this yet. The North American standards are NTSC (analog), ATSC (Over the air DTV) and QAM (digital cable). European standards are PAL (analog), and DVB-T (over the air DTV).
You will also need to buy a wattage transformer to get the TV to run off of the USA power current. Plasma TV’s and LCD TV’s are very sensitive to wattage fluctuations. We are only speculating on this point, but running an expensive plasma with a transformer can’t be good for the life of the TV. Our advice is you can buy a nice 46” LCD nowadays for just about $1000 (about £500) in the states.