WiseTech to digitise New Zealand customs tariff data

WiseTech Global has won a contract from the New Zealand Customs Service to digitise the Working Tariff Document of New Zealand and provide online access for government agencies and trade users.

The project centres on a new online Customs Tariff Management Portal to manage tariff updates and publish changes in a more standardised way. It also includes a New Zealand-specific edition of WiseTech's BorderWise software, to be made available at no cost, giving users searchable access to the current tariff.

Core reference

New Zealand's Working Tariff is the classification system used to identify goods imported into and exported from the country. It is based on the World Customs Organisation Harmonized System, which underpins tariff schedules in more than 200 countries and economies and provides a common structure for trade statistics.

Classification against the tariff affects the duties, excise, levies and taxes that apply to imported goods. It also informs how border agencies monitor trade flows and apply controls and restrictions to particular goods.

The digitisation work will focus on both the maintenance process and user access. It will replace a range of internal processes and document formats currently used to create and distribute updates, including emails, paper documents and multiple digital formats, according to WiseTech.

Portal build

The Customs Tariff Management Portal is a new WiseTech-built solution for the New Zealand environment. It will cover the underlying datasets and supporting documentation in both human-readable and computer-readable formats.

In many jurisdictions, tariff data sits across several systems and document types, with working documents held in office files, PDFs and printed references. Trade processing systems also carry tariff references for entry processing. New Zealand's Trade Single Window system is one place where tariff-related information can sit alongside broader border processing.

WiseTech described the portal as a first step in a broader tariff management product suite it expects to offer to other governments and border agencies. It said the work addresses a recurring challenge: maintaining and updating tariff schedules consistently.

Community access

The contract also includes a BorderWise Community Edition tailored for New Zealand. The software will provide access to the Working Tariff, as well as legal notes, tariff concessions and other reference material used in international trade.

Intended users include importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, logistics service providers and New Zealand government agencies. WiseTech said the community edition will be available at no cost.

Users will also be able to upgrade to cover additional jurisdictions and the World Customs Organisation Harmonized System through the broader BorderWise product, WiseTech said.

The project will continue to support PDF and printed versions of the tariff. These formats remain in use in parts of the market and in some compliance and reference workflows.

Contract terms

The agreement has an initial term of seven years, including a two-year implementation period, with options for renewal for successive further terms.

New Zealand Customs awarded the work following a competitive tender process. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Company context

WiseTech develops software for logistics and supply chain operations and is best known for CargoWise, its core platform used by freight forwarders and logistics providers. It also sells compliance and border-related products, including BorderWise.

WiseTech said its customer base spans 193 countries and includes more than 17,000 logistics companies across CargoWise and non-CargoWise platforms. It also cited figures placing its customers among the largest third-party logistics providers and freight forwarders.

WiseTech said the tariff portal aligns with its broader focus on digitising global trade and logistics processes. Chief Executive Officer Zubin Appoo outlined the company's ambition for the product line in a statement issued with the contract award.

"The Tariff Management Portal will be a significant first step in WiseTech providing a global solution intended for many countries and border agencies, that builds on our strong pedigree in customs and compliance. The development of this capability is a logical step within our goal to digitally connect all players within global trade and logistics, driving greater productivity and efficiencies across the industry," said Zubin Appoo, Chief Executive Officer, WiseTech Global.

Implementation will run through the two-year delivery period. The portal and the New Zealand BorderWise community edition are the initial deliverables for Customs' tariff maintenance and distribution workflows.