Policies, regulations, tariffs, and trade agreements
China’ s Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian has confirmed that beef safeguard measures, implemented from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028, are designed to support the domestic industry rather than restrict normal trade. As of 1 June 2026, Australian beef imports had reached 90% of its annual country-specific quota, nearing the threshold…
China implemented zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African diplomatic partners from 1 May 2026, making it the first major economy to grant unilateral, full-coverage duty-free access to all African nations and all least-developed trading partners. In the first month, goods from 20 African countries that are not classified as least-developed reached over 1. 63…
China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) issued Announcement No. 76/2026 on 2 June, granting market access to fresh Belgian apples under a detailed phytosanitary protocol. The protocol covers 16 quarantine pests of concern, requires registered orchards and packing facilities, mandates cold treatment against Mediterranean fruit fly, and establishes pest-free production place requirements for fire…
New Zealand Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has projected that bilateral trade between New Zealand and China will reach NZ$43 billion in 2026, with potential to grow to NZ$50 billion within five to six years. In an exclusive interview with 21st Century Business Herald, McClay emphasised that the NZ-China FTA serves as a…
China’ s General Administration of Customs (GACC) and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) jointly announced on 29 May 2026 the lifting of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) restrictions on northern Brazil, effectively recognising all of Brazil as FMD-free. This revokes import bans dating back to 2002,2005, and 2009. Brazil is already China’s largest beef…
China’s GACC Decree No. 280 on overseas food enterprise registration has taken effect from June 1, 2026, establishing new compliance requirements for all food manufacturers exporting to China, with significant implications for New Zealand dairy, meat, honey, and wine exporters.
PF Olsen’s May 2026 log market update shows New Zealand port export log AWG prices remained flat compared to April. China’s softwood log inventory remained stable at 2.4 to 2.7 million cubic metres. China’s furniture retail sales fell 10.4% year-on-year in April, while building and decoration materi
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay on the sidelines of the APEC Trade Ministers Meeting in Suzhou on May 21, 2026. Both sides agreed to accelerate negotiations on the China-New Zealand FTA service trade negative list, aiming to achieve substantive results within the year. Wang emphasised that…
New Zealand Customs implemented a new Border Service Fee (BSF) and GST pre-payment service fee on imported parcels valued at or below NZD 1,000 from May 22, 2026. The fees apply to all low-value goods entering the country. The BSF aims to recover the cost of customs processing for goods that were pr
On May 21, 2026, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay in Suzhou during the APEC Trade Ministers’ Meeting. The two sides discussed deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Both sides agreed to accelerate negotiations on the negative list for
