What is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug?
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an agricultural, horticultural, and social pest. It's native to Asia and has spread throughout North America and Europe.
It isn’t established in New Zealand, but this sneaky pest hitchhikes on passengers and imported goods. We’ve caught them at our border many times. We need everyone’s help to keep an eye out for them.
The brown marmorated stink bug feeds on more than 300 plant species. If established in New Zealand it could decimate our fruit and vegetable industries.
During autumn and winter, thousands of bugs can enter houses to shelter from the cold. When they're disturbed they release a foul-smelling liquid which can make your house hard to live in.
What imports to New Zealand are impacted by BMSB regulations?
The BMSB risk season begins on 1 September. The measures apply to target vehicles, machinery, and parts exported on or after this date from the 38 countries identified as having BMSB, and which will arrive in New Zealand before or on 30 April.
There is one exception to this rule: BMSB management is not required if target vehicles, machinery, and parts are loaded into a fully enclosed container which is sealed before 1 September and then exported before 1 October of the same year.
To use this exception you will need to provide evidence of container sealing in the form of the seal number and a date-stamped photo.
What countries are affected by BMSB importing rules?
The 38 countries are:
| Albania | Germany | Poland |
| Andorra | Greece | Portugal |
| Armenia | Hungary | Romania |
| Austria | Italy | Russia |
| Azerbaijan | Japan | Serbia |
| Belgium | Kazakhstan | Slovakia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Kosovo | Slovenia |
| Bulgaria | Liechtenstein | Spain |
| Canada | Luxemburg | Switzerland |
| Croatia | Republic of North Macedonia | Turkey |
| Czechia | Moldova | Ukraine |
| France | Montenegro | USA (excludes Alaska and Hawaii) |
| Georgia | Netherlands |
What should I do if I'm importing goods from one of these countries from 1 Sept to 30 April each year?
Contact Method Logistics to manage your shipment so we can assure your import shipment complies with the treatment that is necessary at one of the world's MPI-approved offshore treatment providers. Please note there are no MPI-approved BMSB providers in Australia, so we'll need to manage the route your shipment takes on its way to New Zealand to assure we meet the necessary import rules if your shipment is from one of the BMSB regulated countries.
Want to learn more on BMSB requirements for importers?
There is a lot of information on importing from BMSB countries on the MPI NZ site here: