Notices giving consumers specific information, eg about used cars, water efficiency or country of origin.
Consumer Information Standards (CIS) are created under the Fair Trading Act. They provide information about certain products and services, including their kind, grade, quantity, origin or supply.
A CIS can also describe:
- how this information must be obtained or verified
- the way in which that information is disclosed.
Creating a new Consumer Information Standard
The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs can introduce a new CIS. They must:
- consult with all parties they think the CIS will affect
- consider any comments those parties make.
Complying with the standards
You must comply with the CIS if you supply, offer, or advertise to supply any products or services the notices apply to.
If two or more standards apply to a product or service being supplied, they must comply with at least one.
The requirements don’t apply to goods intended for use outside NZ — these must have a statement woven or worked into or fixed onto the goods stating they are:
- for export only
- only intended for use outside NZ.
The statement should also be applied to the packaging or label.
Current standards
New Zealand has six Consumer Information Standards in place:
- Consumer Information Standards (Care Labelling) Regulations 2000(external link)
- Consumer Information Standards (Country of Origin (Clothing and Footwear) Labelling) Regulations 1992(external link)
- Consumer Information Standards (Fibre Content Labelling) Regulations 2000(external link)
- Consumer Information Standards (Used Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2008(external link)
- Consumer Information Standards (Water Efficiency) Regulations 2017(external link)
- Consumer Information Standards (Origin of Food) Regulations 2021(external link)