The Court has issued an order to the Ministry for Prime Industries to stop granting biosecurity clearance to raw pork imports entering the country from the US, Europe, Canada and Mexico.

The ban is expected to remain in place until the New Zealand Pork Industry Board makes an appeal to the Court.

The ban is a result of an argument made by the board that raw pork imports from countries with a potentially lethal pig disease breach biosecurity laws.

The board aims to stop raw imports coming from countries whose pigs have been affected by Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), also known as blue-ear disease.

An order was initially made on 31 May, but the order has been revoked.

The new order states that the Ministry for Primary Industries, and any inspector acting on its behalf, is restrained from granting biosecurity clearances under ss 26–28 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 for any consumer ready cuts of raw pork product that may now be imported.

As a result, the Director-General has made the decision to issue the following new import health standards:

• Import Health Standard for Pig Meat and Pig Meat Products for Human Consumption from the European Union, MEAPORIC.EU dated 18 March 2011 (with the exception of products from Sweden and Finland).
• Import Health Standard for Pig Meat and Pig Meat Products for Human Consumption from the Sonora State of Mexico, MEAPORIC.MEX dated 18 March 2011.
• Import Health Standard for Pig Meat and Pig Meat Products for Human Consumption from Canada and/or the United States of America, MEAPORIC.NAM dated 18 March 2011.

The new court order remains in force pending determination of the present appeal or further order of the Court.