New Zealand Commerce Act 1986
New Zealand's competition statute as at 1 July 2026: anti-competitive agreements and covenants, grocery covenants, cartel provisions and exceptions, misuse of market power, resale price maintenance, anti-competitive acquisitions, clearance and authorisation conditions and undertakings, the Part 4 economic regulation of electricity lines, gas pipelines, airports and water services, the water service quality code, enforcement undertakings, the cartel penalty indemnity ban, exclusion orders, the cartel offence and Commission information notices.
New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 is a compliance framework from New Zealand with 4 domains and 21 controls. The largest domains are Parts 4 and 4A: Regulated goods and services (electricity lines, gas pipelines, airports, water) and water consumer protection – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 (8 controls), Part 2: Restrictive trade practices – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 (6 controls), Parts 6 and 7: Enforcement, remedies, penalties, investigations and offences – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 (5 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (4)
Part 2: Restrictive trade practices – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::27 | Do not enter into or give effect to contracts, arrangements or understandings that substantially lessen competition |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::28-28D | Do not require or give covenants that substantially lessen competition, including the prohibited grocery-related covenants |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::30-30C | No cartel provisions: never fix prices, restrict output or allocate markets with competitors |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::31-33 | Rely on the collaborative activity, vertical supply and joint buying exceptions only when their conditions are met |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::36-36B | A business with a substantial degree of market power must not engage in conduct that substantially lessens competition |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::37-42 | No resale price maintenance: do not fix or enforce minimum resale prices or withhold supply to enforce them |
Parts 3 and 5: Business acquisitions, clearances, authorisations and undertakings – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::47-47D | Do not acquire business assets or shares where the acquisition would be likely to substantially lessen competition, including acquisitions by overseas persons |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::58-69B | Comply with the conditions of any clearance or authorisation and with divestiture undertakings given to the Commission |
Parts 4 and 4A: Regulated goods and services (electricity lines, gas pipelines, airports, water) and water consumer protection – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::53A-53F | Regulated suppliers subject to information disclosure regulation: publicly disclose as the section 52P determination requires and supply the information to the Commission |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::53G-53J | Negotiate/arbitrate regulation: negotiate in good faith within the determination's framework and submit to compulsory arbitration if no settlement is reached |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::53K-53ZC | Price-quality regulation: stay within the maximum prices or revenues and meet the quality standards of the applicable price-quality path, and provide the monitoring information required |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::54-54X | Electricity lines services: information disclosure for all suppliers and default/customised price-quality paths for non-exempt suppliers and Transpower |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::55-55K | Gas pipeline services: information disclosure and default/customised price-quality regulation |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::56-56N | Specified airport services: information disclosure, additional regulation where imposed, and the duty to supply disclosed information to the Secretary for Transport |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::57-57V | Water services: regulation of water supply, wastewater and stormwater suppliers declared by Order in Council |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::57W-57ZY | Water services consumer protection: disclose consumer experience information and comply with any Commission service quality code |
Parts 6 and 7: Enforcement, remedies, penalties, investigations and offences – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::74A-74D | Honour enforcement undertakings accepted by the Commission |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::80A | Never indemnify or insure directors, employees or agents against cartel pecuniary penalties or the costs of defending them |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::80C-80E | Exclusion from management orders for cartel conduct: a person excluded by the court must not manage a body corporate without leave |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::82B-82E | The criminal cartel offence: intentional price fixing, output restriction or market allocation is a crime |
| new-zealand-commerce-act-1986::98-103 | Comply with Commission information notices, searches and evidence requirements, and never give false or misleading information |
What is New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 and who does it apply to?
New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 is a compliance framework from New Zealand with 4 domains and 21 controls. New Zealand's competition statute as at 1 July 2026: anti-competitive agreements and covenants, grocery covenants, cartel provisions and exceptions, misuse of market power, resale price maintenance, anti-competitive acquisitions, clearance and authorisation conditions and undertakings, the Part 4 economic regulation of electricity lines, gas pipelines, airports and water services, the water service quality code, enforcement undertakings, the cartel penalty indemnity ban, exclusion orders, the cartel offence and Commission information notices. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 actually require?
New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 has 21 controls organised across 4 domains. The largest domains are Parts 4 and 4A: Regulated goods and services (electricity lines, gas pipelines, airports, water) and water consumer protection – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 (8 controls), Part 2: Restrictive trade practices – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 (6 controls), Parts 6 and 7: Enforcement, remedies, penalties, investigations and offences – New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 (5 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 do I already cover?
New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
How do I implement New Zealand Commerce Act 1986?
Start your New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about New Zealand Commerce Act 1986 requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 21 controls and track your progress.
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