DNA fingerprinting with the universally primed polymerase chain reaction (UP-PCR) technique was used in an initial study to determine the degree of genetic diversity of Ciborinia camelliae populations within New Zealand and the United States of America. The UP-PCR band patterns from 27 isolates of C. camelliae collected from Wellington, Palmerston North, Wanganui and Christchurch in New Zealand and three isolates each from Georgia, Oregon and Virginia in the United States of America were analysed by two statistical methods. Cluster analysis indicated two distinct groupings, with isolates from New Zealand being less genetically diverse (9% polymorphic bands) than those from the United States of America (17% polymorphic bands). Canonical variates analysis showed that the majority (87%) of genetic diversity between locations was associated with the difference in UP-PCR band patterns between the two countries, with only 9% being associated with the genetic diversity within the countries. Therefore, for the isolates of C. camelliae examined, those from New Zealand were different from the small group of isolates obtained from the United States of America, but the genetic diversity in populations of C. camelliae within each country was low.