KEY POINTS:
Customs are hoping to put a stop to covert Christmas crackers this year, reminding importers they are explosives and must have the proper paperwork.
The border guardians issued a circular saying about 40 per cent of crackers were being imported without the required Certificate to Import Explosives from the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma).
A Christchurch Christmas store owner told The Press crackers had only recently reappeared, having gone underground following the September 11 terrorist attack.
An Erma spokeswoman said crackers were classified as fireworks and the regulations had been around for a long time.
"As these requirements are not at all new, we wouldn't expect any impact on the quality of crackers imported this year, the size of the snap when they're pulled, or the quality of the jokes they contain."
- NZPA
