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Import tariffs on a range of building products will be temporarily suspended from tomorrow – a measure which is expected to reduce housing costs and increase competition in the residential construction sector, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Commerce Minister Craig Foss announced this afternoon.

Duties on plasterboard, reinforcing steel bar and wire nails and tariffs on building products like roofing, cladding, insulation, paints, electrical and plumbing fittings will be removed temporarily to increase competition and improve housing affordability.

“Reducing the costs of building materials is an important part of the Government’s programme to improve housing affordability,” Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government is proposing increased transparency, simplified compliance, changes to anti-dumping duties and tariff concessions to bring down the cost of home building materials, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Commerce Minister Craig Foss announced today.

A market study into residential construction costs has been released today for public input by the Government.

“The costs of building a house in New Zealand are too high as identified by the Productivity Commission’s report. This issues paper and market study is about identifying why some house construction costs are as much as 30 per cent more expensive than Australia and how we can get costs down,” Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said.

Commerce Minister Craig Foss said the issues paper is primarily focused on improving competition and productivity.