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Urgent Clearance

This page explains how to request urgent clearance of time-critical shipments when TSW is not available due to an outage.


We know the impacts that can arise from a delay to the delivery of any imported goods, or to the loading of goods for export. However, we still need to manage border risks when there is at TSW outage, and can’t manually assess all affected shipments. For that reason, we will consider requests for urgent clearance of shipments (called 'Trust Delivery') that meet the following criteria:

  • Imports: life or death situations, perishable goods and parts for broken plant machinery, where the goods have arrived or will arrive within the outage period or shortly after 
  • Exports that require loading authority within the outage period or shortly after i.e. up to 4 hours before the cut off period
  • Other comparable cases, which will be considered on their own merit.

To request urgent clearance, please email service.delivery@customs.govt.nz during normal business hours or ITOCTradeTargeting@customs.govt.nz afterhours (4pm – 8am) or on weekends and public holidays. Include “Urgent Trust Request” in the Subject line. Please also provide the following information in the email:

  • Reason for request
  • Date of import or export
  • Importer/Exporter name (and client code if known)
  • Broker name/code
  • Flight or vessel
  • Bill number
  • Number of packages
  • Weight 
  • Goods description
  • Job number
  • Entry number (if known)
  • NZCS 227 Application for Trust Delivery (DOC 301 KB)

Please also advise ITOC or Service Delivery via the same email address when you have received the final electronic clearance confirmed in your system and advise final clearance details i.e. lodgement number.