On July 15, 2026, the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) announced that, during a reassessment of insecticides used for pet flea control and in household and commercial pest control, it proposes to ban the two active ingredients, fenthion and propoxur, and is now seeking public comment on the proposal. The consultation period runs from July 15 to August 26, 2026. Fenthion is an organophosphate insecticide, while propoxur is a carbamate insecticide.
According to the EPA, fenthion was previously used in pet flea-control products in New Zealand, while propoxur was used in pet flea-control products as well as in household and commercial pest control. However, the EPA considers that the two substances are no longer in use in New Zealand. The EPA therefore proposes to revoke all approvals for products containing the above active ingredients, so as to eliminate the risk of their future use.
ChemRadar Insights
In response to New Zealand's proposed ban, ChemRadar reminds enterprises that manufacture, export, or deal in related insecticide products to note the following:
1. Review product formulations: Enterprises that manufacture, export, or intend to place insecticide, pet flea-control, and pest-control products on the New Zealand market should verify whether their products contain fenthion or propoxur. If they do, the enterprises should track the progress of the approval revocation and plan alternative formulations or product phase-out.
2. Monitor the effective date and transitional arrangements: Once the ban takes effect, products containing the above ingredients will no longer be able to obtain import or manufacture approvals, and the relevant products will need to be withdrawn from the New Zealand market. Enterprises should track the EPA's final decision and its effective date and adjust their supply chains and inventories accordingly.
3. Keep track of HSNO approval status: New Zealand operates an approval and reassessment system for hazardous substances, and this case is a revocation of approval carried out through reassessment. Enterprises exporting pesticides and insecticides to New Zealand should continuously monitor the approval status of their own products, so as to guard against compliance risks arising from reassessment.
