Policies, regulations, tariffs, and trade agreements
New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has taken a landmark step by issuing its first combined health certificate and free sale certificate for cross-border e-commerce food exports to China. The move addresses China’s tightened clearance requirements for NZ-origin health foods and functional nutrition products, which now mandate both official documents under a dual-certificate…
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Bede Corry and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu held the sixth round of China-New Zealand Foreign Consultations in Beijing on April 23, 2026. The two officials reviewed recent high-level bilateral exchanges, including Prime Ministe
New Zealand posted a record trade surplus of NZD 1.92 billion in April 2026. This marks the largest trade surplus on record. Exports rose 12% year-on-year to a record NZD 8.6 billion. Exports to China, the top trading partner, rose 3.9%. Imports increased 3.4% to NZD 6.7 billion. Imports from China
New Zealand exports rose 7.3% year-on-year to a record NZD 7.94 billion in March 2026. This surpassed market expectations and marked a significant recovery from earlier weakness. Exports to China, New Zealand’s largest trading partner, increased 11.1%. The growth was primarily driven by dairy produc
The first dedicated refrigerated fruit vessel of the 2026 Zespri kiwifruit season, the Kowhai, arrived at Shanghai Nangang terminal on March 30 carrying 4,098 tonnes of SunGold and RubyRed kiwifruit from Tauranga, New Zealand. Shanghai Customs deployed a comprehensive smart digital monitoring system to achieve zero-wait clearance, utilising advance filing, two-stage admission, 24-hour supervised…
China Briefing, a leading business intelligence publication, has released a detailed implementation guide for GACC Decree 280 (Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety), which took effect on January 1, 2026. The guide provides foreign food exporters, including those from New Zealand, with a comprehensive overview of the new regulatory framework…
Senior officials and ministers from RCEP member countries gathered in Wellington, New Zealand, for a high-level meeting focused on deepening regional economic integration. A key agenda item was the advancement of service trade liberalisation, with New Zealand and China actively negotiating the expansion of their Free Trade Agreement’s negative list approach to cover additional…
China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) Order 280 takes effect on June 1,2026. It replaces the previous Order 248 and introduces a risk-based registration system for overseas food producers. The new rules cover production, processing, and storage facilities. They require registration through two pathways: official recommendation for high-risk foods and self-application for lower-risk categories….
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Commerce have jointly issued a new announcement strengthening recall requirements for food sold through cross-border e-commerce retail channels. The regulation requires cross-border e-commerce enterprises to appoint a domestic food production enterprise to handle recall operations in China. When quality safety risks are identified,…
New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) issued its preliminary anti-dumping determination on January 31, 2026, on preserved peaches originating from China with a total weight not exceeding 5 kg. The first-phase ruling found that exporter J&G International Co., Ltd. had engaged in dumping that caused material injury to New Zealand’s domestic…
