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WTO notification · TBT

New ZealandUpdated: check whether it is now adopted or in force

Refrigerators – New Zealand

Official title

Proposed changes to regulatory requirements for household refrigerators and freezers can be found in the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Decision Regulation Impact Statement - Household Refrigerators and Freezers (November 2017, 84 pages) available for download at:

New Zealand issued an addendum on 10 November 2025 to the earlier TBT notification G/TBT/N/NZL/80. Addenda often report that a measure was adopted, changed, postponed or withdrawn. The measure was first notified on 5 January 2018. The comment period closed on 23 February 2018.

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Source: WTO ePing (opens in a new tab). Summaries by Expodite, which is independent of the WTO.

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At a glance

Products

Household refrigerators and freezers

HS codes
  • 84 · Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors; parts thereof
    • 8418 Refrigerators, freezers and other refrigerating or freezing equipment, electric or other; heat pumps; parts thereof (excl. air conditioning machines of…
Notifying member
New Zealand
Status
Updated: check whether it is now adopted or in force
Objectives
  • Protection of the environment
Area
TBT: Technical product rulesTechnical barriers to trade
Notification type
Regular notification
Document symbol
G/TBT/N/NZL/80Latest notice: G/TBT/N/NZL/80/Add.1

Key dates

Distributed by the WTO
Comment deadline
Closed on 23 February 2018
Proposed adoption
The proposed regulatory changes will be incorporated into New Zealand Regulation no earlier than 1 December 2018.
Proposed entry into force
The proposed MEPS requirements for household refrigerators and freezers will come into force in New Zealand Regulation no earlier than January 2021. (This accommodates a two-year lead-in time negotiat

How to comment

The comment period closed on 23 February 2018. You can still raise concerns about the measure with your country's WTO TBT enquiry point, quoting the document symbol G/TBT/N/NZL/80/Add.1; it can take them up with New Zealand.

Find your country's enquiry point on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)

What the notification says

Latest notice (⁨G/TBT/N/NZL/80/Add.1⁩, 10 November 2025)

Proposed changes to regulatory requirements for household refrigerators and freezers can be found in the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Decision Regulation Impact Statement - Household Refrigerators and Freezers (November 2017, 84 pages) available for download at:

New Zealand has amended the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 to introduce or update Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Mandatory Energy Performance Labelling (MEPL) requirements across air conditioners/heat pumps > 65kW, clothes washing machines, dishwashers, rotary clothes dryers, household refrigerators and freezers, three-phase cage induction motors and external power supplies. These changes give effect to policy decisions developed under the Trans-Tasman Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Programme, support the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA), and in line with international best practice.

The E3 Decision Regulation Impact Statement - Household Refrigerators and Freezers presents proposed changes to regulatory requirements for household refrigerators and freezers offered for sale in New Zealand and Australia. The key changes are outlined below. Adoption of an international test method to replace local testing requirements: Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the International Electrotechnical Committee test standards (IEC 62552:2015) will be directly adopted into a joint Australia/New Zealand Standard, in three parts as follows: AS/NZS IEC 62552.1 Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements; AS/NZS IEC 62552.2 Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 2: Performance requirements; AS/NZS IEC 62552.3 Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 3: Energy consumption and volume The Australia/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS IEC 62552 Parts 1, 2 and 3 will then be incorporated into the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 in New Zealand (subject to Cabinet approval) and the equivalent regulation in Australia. The Australia/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS IEC 62552 Parts 1, 2 and 3 is expected to be published by mid February 2018. It will replace the Australia/New Zealand test standard AS/NZS 4474.1:2007 Performance of household electrical appliances - Refrigerating appliances - Energy consumption and performance. This will be withdrawn from…

Notices on this measure

Every notice about this measure published here, newest first. Each one is the notifying member's own text.

  1. AddendumG/TBT/N/NZL/80/Add.1

    Proposed changes to regulatory requirements for household refrigerators and freezers can be found in the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Decision Regulation Impact Statement - Household Refrigerators and Freezers (November 2017, 84 pages) available for download at:

    New Zealand has amended the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 to introduce or update Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Mandatory Energy Performance Labelling (MEPL) requirements across air conditioners/heat pumps > 65kW, clothes washing machines, dishwashers, rotary clothes dryers, household refrigerators and freezers, three-phase cage induction motors and external power supplies. These changes give effect to policy decisions developed under the Trans-Tasman Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Programme, support the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA), and in line with international best practice.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (opens in a new tab)

  2. Regular notificationG/TBT/N/NZL/80

    Comment deadline: Closed on 23 February 2018

    Proposed changes to regulatory requirements for household refrigerators and freezers can be found in the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Decision Regulation Impact Statement - Household Refrigerators and Freezers (November 2017, 84 pages) available for download at:

    The E3 Decision Regulation Impact Statement - Household Refrigerators and Freezers presents proposed changes to regulatory requirements for household refrigerators and freezers offered for sale in New Zealand and Australia. The key changes are outlined below. Adoption of an international test method to replace local testing requirements: Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the International Electrotechnical Committee test standards (IEC 62552:2015) will be directly adopted into a joint Australia/New Zealand Standard, in three parts as follows: AS/NZS IEC 62552.1 Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements; AS/NZS IEC 62552.2 Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 2: Performance requirements; AS/NZS IEC 62552.3 Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 3: Energy consumption and volume The Australia/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS IEC 62552 Parts 1, 2 and 3 will then be incorporated into the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 in New Zealand (subject to Cabinet approval) and the equivalent regulation in Australia. The Australia/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS IEC 62552 Parts 1, 2 and 3 is expected to be published by mid February 2018. It will replace the Australia/New Zealand test standard AS/NZS 4474.1:2007 Performance of household electrical appliances - Refrigerating appliances - Energy consumption and performance. This will be withdrawn from…

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document 1 (opens in a new tab)Notified document 2 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Expodite writes its summary from the official record. The notification and the documents it notifies are on the WTO's own websites.

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