Call to end ‘dumping ground’ talk

The chief executive of the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA) is calling for the phrase “dumping ground” to be removed from discussions around New Zealand’s vehicle policies.

Greig Epps says politicians and officials have increasingly used the term to justify unreasonable and unnecessary conditions on used imports despite it lacking “definition, legal weight or evidentiary basis”.

“‘Dumping ground’ is a bogeyman by those opposed to Kiwis owning used-import vehicles. It’s a phrase, not a standard,” says Epps, pictured.

“It has crept from a few submissions into policy summaries and political speeches, but it muddies the conversation and distracts from what actually matters.”

He adds, contrary to the claims implied by the term, New Zealand is not being flooded with unsafe or high-emitting vehicles from Japan.

“Japan’s emissions standards are internationally respected. New Zealand’s entry-compliance regime is among the toughest in the world, and the hybrids and smaller petrol vehicles that dominate the current mix of used imports have lower carbon-dioxide emissions than much of our existing fleet.”

He explains vehicles in New Zealand are deregistered after about 20 years, which means a 10-year-old Japanese import entering the domestic fleet is safer and cleaner than the older vehicle it replaces.

The concern is that using unsubstantiated rhetoric as a basis for tougher import rules creates unintended consequences. 

Epps says attempts to prevent a so-called “dumping ground” scenario may actually cause one by restricting access to newer, safer, lower-emissions vehicles that households can afford.

“If you overtighten the import gate, you don’t magically improve the fleet. Instead, you stall its renewal,” he adds. “Families hold on to older vehicles longer, which slows scrappage and raises the average fleet age.”

VIA has also raised concerns about recent changes to emissions testing thresholds introduced by the government. 

For many years, New Zealand-new vehicles could comply with Euro 5 or the baseline Japan 2005 standard. Under the new approach, used imports must meet Euro 5 or a Japan 2005 level that is 75 per cent stricter than its baseline.

The association claims this effectively requires used imports from Japan to meet a higher bar than many new vehicles sold here over the past decade, without clear evidence of additional environmental or safety benefit.

“Instead of targeting real-world emissions outcomes, we’ve seen a focus on lab test formats, a clear counter-evidential bias for European standards over Japanese standards,” continues Epps. “That’s not smart regulation, it’s risk aversion dressed up as progress.”

At the same time, increasingly stringent penalties under the clean car standard (CCS) have reduced the supply of family-sized models, placing additional pressure on affordability.

Epps says there are three key points VIA wants those involved in transport policy decisions to consider.

• Drop unhelpful slogans – Avoid terms such as “dumping ground” that carry no legal definition and distract from measurable outcomes.

• Focus on evidence and parity – Align regulatory thresholds with real-world risk, and ensure new and used imports are treated consistently.

• Prioritise fleet renewal at scale – Support a steady supply of new and mid-life vehicles to refresh the fleet affordably and sustainably.

“New Zealand’s import standards are strong,” he adds. “But when rhetoric starts driving policy, you risk distorting settings and harming the very outcomes we all want to improve: emissions, safety and affordability.”

Repeated phrase

The “dumping ground” phrase was often used from 2020 onwards after the then Labour government began its push to introduce the CCS.

Michael Wood, when discussing the plans as Minister of Transport, said at the time that a bill progressing through parliament aimed to stop New Zealand becoming a “dumping ground for the world’s dirtiest cars”. 

He regularly repeated the phrase when promoting the CCS and it was also used in a debate by Green MP Ricardo Menendez March. Meanwhile, former Green Party co-leader James Shaw in 2020 called for a ban on petrol and diesel imports, labelling his proposal an “anti-dumping measure”.

It’s not only politicians who have used the term, with former Toyota New Zealand chief executive officer Neeraj Lala once warning the country risked becoming “a dumping ground of Europe’s dirty diesels and high carbon-emitting, petrol-fuelled cars”.