UNZ submission on MFAT’s proposed changes to export controls

Universities New Zealand has made a submission to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) on its proposal to “widen catch-all controls over the export of goods and technologies which are not listed in the New Zealand Strategic Goods List and which are destined directly or indirectly for a military, paramilitary or police end-user".

While universities support the rationale for the proposed regulatory changes to export controls that apply to high-risk countries—to ensure national security and to prevent the misuse of technology—UNZ believes the proposals in their current form are unworkable, lack clear guidance and may have a chilling impct on valuable research and knowledge sharing.