New Zealand has done the thing importers most wanted and least expected: it kept the Clean Car Standard, and it cut the charge. Used imports over the CO2 target now attract NZ$7.50 per gram, down from NZ$33.75, with new vehicles at NZ$15 rather than NZ$67.50. On 21 August 2026 the Government confirmed the scheme survives — with new targets, differentiated between used and new imports, from 1 January 2028.
The short version
- Used imported vehicles over target are charged NZ$7.50 per gram of CO2, reduced from NZ$33.75 with effect from 1 January 2026.
- New vehicles are charged NZ$15 per gram, reduced from NZ$67.50.
- On 21 August 2026 the Government confirmed it will retain the standard rather than scrap it.
- New settings will be developed with the industry, take effect 1 January 2028, and will set different targets for used and new imports. Officials report back in early 2027.
- Transport Minister Chris Bishop estimated the reduced rates avoid NZ$264 million in net charges.
What changed, and when
NZ$7.50/g
Used imports over target
NZ$15/g
New vehicles over target
1 Jan 2028
New targets take effect
1 January 2026
Charges cut sharply
The used-vehicle charge falls from NZ$33.75 to NZ$7.50 per gram of CO2 over target; the new-vehicle charge falls from NZ$67.50 to NZ$15. The reduced rates apply through 2026 and 2027.21 August 2026
The standard survives its review
Transport Minister Chris Bishop confirms the Government will keep the Clean Car Standard rather than remove it, saying removal would be highly disruptive for an industry that has accumulated credits and charges over time.Early 2027
Officials report back
New settings are developed in consultation with the motor industry. The Government has not yet decided what the new targets will be.1 January 2028
New targets apply
Separate targets for used and new imports take effect, reflecting the older technology in the used fleet.
Removing the standard would have wiped out credits importers had already earned. Keeping it and cutting the rate protects them and lowers the bill at once.
What it does to a landed number
This is one of the rare cases where the arithmetic is fully public and entirely linear. The charge is a rate per gram of CO2 above the applicable target, so the saving scales directly with how far over target a vehicle sits.
| Grams over target | At NZ$33.75/g (to 2025) | At NZ$7.50/g (2026–27) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | NZ$337.50 | NZ$75.00 | −NZ$262.50 |
| 20 g | NZ$675.00 | NZ$150.00 | −NZ$525.00 |
| 50 g | NZ$1,687.50 | NZ$375.00 | −NZ$1,312.50 |
| 80 g | NZ$2,700.00 | NZ$600.00 | −NZ$2,100.00 |
Illustrative. The applicable CO2 target depends on the vehicle and the scheme year; confirm yours with NZTA before relying on a figure.
A larger petrol SUV sitting well over target is where the cut is worth real money. On a small, efficient Japanese hatchback that sits close to or under target, the charge was never the issue and the reduction changes very little. That asymmetry is the practical read: the reduction is a discount on exactly the vehicles New Zealand’s policy was designed to discourage.
We are not going to pretend this is a green outcome
Cutting the charge by 78% on used imports makes higher-emitting vehicles cheaper to land in New Zealand. That is the mechanical effect and it is worth stating plainly, whatever your view of it. The Government’s stated reasoning was consumer cost, and Bishop put the avoided net charges at NZ$264 million.
Does this apply to you?
- Importing a used vehicle into New Zealand: yes, directly. Your Clean Car Standard exposure is a quarter of what it was in 2025.
- Importing a new vehicle: yes, at NZ$15 rather than NZ$67.50 per gram over target.
- Importing into Australia: no. Australia runs the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, a separate scheme levied on suppliers rather than a per-vehicle import charge. Do not read across.
- Buying a used vehicle already in New Zealand: no. The standard applies at import, not at resale.
Is your car still legal to import?
The Clean Car Standard is a charge, not a bar — it prices emissions rather than prohibiting them. Admissibility in New Zealand is governed separately, through entry certification, frontal-impact standards, biosecurity inspection and the applicable emissions standard for the vehicle’s market of origin.
Reporting indicates further emissions standard changes are scheduled for the end of the decade, with different requirements for diesel and for petrol, CNG and LPG vehicles. We have not verified those dates and thresholds against NZTA’s own published requirements and are not going to state them as fact. If you are planning a purchase that lands near the end of the decade, that is the thing to confirm with NZTA directly. Our New Zealand guide covers the certification pathway as it stands.
On the record
- Used-vehicle Clean Car Standard charges fell from NZ$33.75 to NZ$7.50 per gram of CO2 from 1 January 2026, with the reduced rates applying through 2026 and 2027.
- New-vehicle charges fell from NZ$67.50 to NZ$15 per gram over the same period.
- On 21 August 2026 the Government confirmed it will retain the Clean Car Standard, with new settings from 1 January 2028 and officials reporting back in early 2027.
- Transport Minister Chris Bishop is the minister responsible and estimated NZ$264 million in avoided net charges.
Still not established
- The CO2 targets themselves for 2026 and 2027. Confirm your vehicle’s applicable target with NZTA rather than relying on a published figure.
- What the 2028 targets will be. The Government has explicitly not decided.
- The exact dates and thresholds of the scheduled emissions standard changes later this decade.
Move now or wait?
There is a genuine window and it runs to the end of 2027. The reduced rates were set for 2026 and 2027, and new targets arrive on 1 January 2028 with the charge structure to be settled in between. Nobody has said the rates will rise again, and we are not predicting that they will — but the current level has a stated end date, which is more than most tax positions have.
Net that against real lead time before acting on it. Nearly all New Zealand used imports come out of Japan, and the voyage plus entry certification plus compliance work is measured in weeks. A late-2027 order is a 2028 registration, and 2028 is on different settings.
- If you want a higher-emitting used import, this is the cheap window. The saving on a vehicle 50 grams over target is NZ$1,312.50 against the 2025 rate.
- If your vehicle is near or under target, ignore this. The charge was not material to you and the reduction is not either.
- Dealers should be watching the 2027 consultation, not the 2026 rate. The targets set for 2028 will shape which specifications are worth committing capital to for years afterwards.
Clean Car Standard charge rates, CO2 targets and entry certification requirements are set by the New Zealand Government and administered by NZTA Waka Kotahi. Details above reflect the Government’s announcement of 21 August 2026 and published rate changes, checked on 10 September 2026. Verify your own position with NZTA before committing funds.
Pricing a Japanese import into New Zealand?
We buy in Japanese auction halls every week, inspect before your money moves, and quote one landed figure to your port. Send us the model, grade and year band: start here. Our comparison of New Zealand and Japan as sources sets out where each corridor actually wins.
Sources
- Govt to keep Labour's clean car standard for high-emission vehicle imports — 1News
- Easing the cost of new and used imported vehicles — New Zealand Government (Beehive)
- Clean Car Standard under review, import charges lowered — 1News
- NZ Clean Vehicle Standard charges cut to protect consumers — Australasian Fleet Management Association