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DTR Sea Information

From Monday 3 July 2023, a Domestic Transhipment Request (DTR) will be required to move uncleared sea-freight from one approved facility (CCA/TF) to another approved facility.


After this date, Collectors Permits will be discontinued and will not be accepted to move containers from the Port and DTRs must be submitted for devanned LCL consignments between CCA/TF.

Status of Ports

Phase One - FAK movements from Port to CCA/TF

The following ports are 'DTR Active'. DTRs can be submitted to release uncleared FAK containers from the port to your CCA/TF:

  • Port of Tauranga
  • Ports of Auckland
  • Lyttelton Port

What you need to do

Please contact your software provider for information on whether a DTR message is available in your existing ICR message set. 

Contact DTR@mpi.govt.nz prior to submitting your first DTR so that you receive the required information and training materials.

For more information on DTRs and to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) visit Domestic Transhipment Requests.

Training Guides

For FAQs visit the FAQ webpage.

Requirements for DTR Compliance

Shipping Companies

Port Companies

  • DTR Sea Container Requirements for Ports V2 (PDF 414 KB): The purpose of this document is to inform port operators (and software providers to port operators) of the rules and associated logic which can be used to interpret the movement response from MPI and Customs to ensure the correct action is applied to the container.
  • DTR Technical requirements for Breakbulk for Ports (PDF 416 KB) and DTR Sea - Requirements for Breakbulk (PDF 74 KB): The purpose of these documents is to inform port operators (and software providers to port operators) of the DTR rules and associated logic which must be used to interpret the movement response to ensure that correct action is applied to breakbulk cargo.

What is DTR Sea?

A Domestic Transhipment Request (DTR) is a request to move uncleared cargo from one approved facility to another approved facility. This is required for any point-to-point movement.

An approved facility must be both a CCA and a Transitional Facility. 

DTRs are requested through Trade Single Window (TSW) on an Inward Cargo Report (ICR). Like other TSW messages, DTRs can be approved, declined, or held.

DTRs intent is to replace the current manual approval systems for domestic transhipments i.e.:

  • Customs ‘Continuing Permission (Collectors Permit) and a hard copy ‘Permit to Remove’ for movement in NZ ‘under bond’.
  • We use DTR instead of Biosecurity Authority Clearance Certificate (BACC) applications to move uncleared cargo.

A DTR is part of the Inward Cargo Report (ICR).