What It Means for Your Business

New Zealand is taking a significant step toward eradicating modern slavery with the introduction of its new Modern Slavery Bill. The proposed legislation, introduced as a Member’s Bill, puts forward one of the most comprehensive frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region to address human rights abuses in supply chains. For companies operating in or with ties to New Zealand, it’s time to prepare.

What’s in the Bill?

The Modern Slavery Bill proposes a bold, structured approach that includes:

• Mandatory modern slavery reporting for entities with revenue over NZ$50 million
  
  
• The creation of an independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
  
  
• A central registry of modern slavery statements, fully accessible to the public
  
  
• Fines up to NZ$200,000 for non-compliance or false reporting
  
  
• Legal provisions to deny Crown funding to convicted entities
  
  
• Support and certification processes for victims of modern slavery and trafficking
  
  

The Bill also amends multiple existing laws to ensure victims’ protection and enhance prosecutorial powers, including changes to the Crimes Act and the Clean Slate Act.

‍

‍Why This Matters

New Zealand is joining a growing list of jurisdictions — including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the EU — requiring companies to go beyond voluntary ESG goals and demonstrate meaningful human rights due diligence. Businesses will now be expected to map their supply chains, identify risks, and publish detailed annual statements on how they are mitigating exploitation.

This is not a “box-ticking” exercise. The law mandates disclosures on:

• Known or anticipated risks
  
  
• Remediation steps
  
  
• Effectiveness evaluations
  
  
• Training programs
  
  
• Victim complaint procedures
  
  

What’s Next?

The Bill is currently in its consultation and review phase as a Member’s Bill and will need to pass through multiple stages in New Zealand’s legislative process — including potential select committee hearings and public input — before becoming law. If enacted, most provisions will come into force six months after receiving Royal Assent. This means businesses may have less than a year to get their due diligence systems in place.

Although the Bill is not yet law, the direction is clear: companies will be held accountable for exploitation in their supply chains. Acting early will not only reduce future compliance risks — it will demonstrate leadership.

‍

How FRDM Can Help

At FRDM, we specialize in empowering companies to meet regulatory obligations like New Zealand’s Modern Slavery Bill — and go beyond compliance to build ethical, resilient supply chains.

Using our platform, you can:

• Map your suppliers and products down to the raw material level
  
  
• Identify forced labor risk across industries, geographies, and HS codes
  
  
• Generate audit-ready modern slavery statements
  
  
• Benchmark and improve over time with dynamic dashboards
  
  
• Screen suppliers for sanctions and ESG violations in real-time
  
  

We’ve helped global banks, retailers, manufacturers, and government agencies take control of their supply chain risk. Now, we’re ready to support New Zealand entities — and their global trading partners — through this transition.

The Bottom Line

New Zealand’s proposed law reflects a global shift: ethical sourcing is no longer optional. It’s enforceable. And it’s the future of business.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you get compliant — and stay competitive.

‍