Summary
Recently, a flight from Santiago, Chile, carrying chilled Chilean sea urchins arrived at Shenzhen Airport and was quickly cleared by Shenzhen Customs. Zhang Lei, general manager of Shenzhen Lift Import and Export Co. , Ltd.
, said that since the first import of 48 kg of Chilean sea urchins on March 31, 2024, market response has been positive, with now more than two arrivals per week covering the whole country. To ensure quality, Shenzhen Customs developed plans to speed up the entire process, reducing clearance time from landing to release to just four hours. Shenzhen is a key port for Chilean products in China, with one-third of Chilean cherries exported to China passing through Shenzhen.
China has been Chile's largest trading partner for many years, while Chile is China's third-largest trading partner in Latin America, mainly exporting copper, lithium, cherries, pork, and wine. A free trade agreement was signed in 2005, with an upgraded version implemented in 2019, covering about 98% of products with zero tariffs. In January 2024, 93% of Chilean cherry exports went to China, generating US$1.447 billion.
China's ambassador to Chile stated that China's innovation, manufacturing, and green development align well with Chile's revitalisation of industrialisation, green development, and digital economy. In the automotive sector, Chinese-made cars held a 39.73% market share in Chile in 2022. BYD's pure electric buses entered Santiago in 2017, launched its sixth model in 2023, and secured preferential lithium prices to invest in a battery factory.
During his visit to China last year, Chilean President Boric expressed a desire to deepen trade cooperation and open more markets.
Commentary
This news means for New Zealand small and medium enterprise owners that the model of deepening trade cooperation between China and Chile could be replicated in China-New Zealand trade. Chile achieved 98% zero tariffs through its FTA, with agricultural products like cherries and sea urchins quickly entering the Chinese market, indicating strong demand for high-quality food and that customs clearance efficiency is a key competitive factor. New Zealand is also known for agricultural exports such as dairy, meat, and fruit, but after the upgrade of the China-New Zealand FTA, although zero tariff coverage is high, attention must be paid to specific product restrictions.
The Chilean case shows that Chinese consumers have high acceptance of fresh, specialty products (e.g., chilled sea urchins). New Zealand businesses could explore similar niche high-end products like chilled seafood or organic honey, but need to address cold chain logistics and fast customs clearance. On the other hand, cooperation between China's new energy vehicle industry and Chile's lithium mines suggests opportunities for New Zealand in green energy and digital economy, such as exporting clean technology to China or participating in Chinese supply chains.
However, New Zealand must be mindful of geopolitical risks and avoid over-reliance on a single market. Overall, the news indicates China's willingness to deepen cooperation with resource-based countries. New Zealand should leverage existing FTA advantages, optimise export processes, and focus on China's consumption upgrade trends to develop differentiated products.
Keywords: China-Chile trade cooperation, free trade agreement, Chilean sea urchins, cherries, new energy vehicles, BYD, lithium mine, Shenzhen Customs, zero tariff, Chinese market
Summary in Chinese | 摘要
近日，一架从智利首都圣地亚哥起飞的航班搭载冰鲜智利海胆抵达深圳机场口岸，经深圳海关快速放行。深圳市利福特进出口有限公司总经理张磊表示，自2024年3月31日首次引进48公斤智利海胆后，市场反应良好，现每周到货两次以上，供货覆盖全国。深圳海关为保障海胆品质，制定预案，全流程提速，货物从落地到结关仅用4小时。
深圳是中国接收智利产品的重要港口，智利对华出口的车厘子有1/3经深圳港运往内陆。中国已连续多年成为智利第一大贸易伙伴，智利是中国在拉美第三大贸易伙伴，主要出口铜锂、车厘子、猪肉、葡萄酒等。2005年签署自贸协定，2019年升级版实施，零关税产品覆盖率达约98%。
2024年1月，智利出口车厘子93%运往中国，创收14.47亿美元。中国驻智利大使表示，中国创新、制造和绿色发展与智利重振工业化、绿色发展、数字经济等高度契合。汽车领域，2022年中国产汽车在智利市场占有率达39.73%，比亚迪纯电大巴2017年进入圣地亚哥，2023年推出第六款车型，并获锂矿优惠价格，投资建设电池厂。
智利总统博里奇去年访华时表示希望深化经贸合作，开放更多市场。
Commentary in Chinese | 评论
这条新闻对新西兰中小企业主意味着，中国与智利深化经贸合作的模式可能被复制到中新贸易中。智利通过自贸协定实现98%零关税，车厘子、海胆等农产品快速进入中国市场，说明中国对高品质食品的需求旺盛，且通关效率是关键竞争力。新西兰同样以农产品出口著称，如乳制品、肉类、水果等，但中新自贸协定升级后，零关税覆盖率虽高，仍需关注具体品类限制。
智利案例显示，中国消费者对新鲜、特色产品（如冰鲜海胆）接受度高，新西兰企业可探索类似小众高端产品，如冰鲜海鲜、有机蜂蜜等，但需解决冷链物流和快速通关问题。另一方面，中国新能源汽车产业与智利锂矿合作，提示新西兰在绿色能源、数字经济等领域存在合作窗口，例如向中国出口清洁技术或参与中国供应链。然而，新西兰需注意地缘政治风险，避免过度依赖单一市场。
总体而言，新闻表明中国愿意深化与资源型国家的合作，新西兰应利用现有自贸协定优势，优化出口流程，并关注中国消费升级趋势，开发差异化产品。
关键词: 中智经贸合作, 自贸协定, 智利海胆, 车厘子, 新能源汽车, 比亚迪, 锂矿, 深圳海关, 零关税, 中国市场
Source: Xinhua Net
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