Open China Draws Quality Goods from Around the World

Summary

China's imports have kept up strong growth momentum this year, rising 22 per cent year on year in the first seven months, with inbound shipments from more than 150 trading partners all posting positive growth. Agricultural imports reached RMB904.1 billion over the same period, up 7.4 per cent. At the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub in Shanghai, everyday consumer goods such as Australian canola oil and Nordic Gothenburg biscuits are reaching Chinese consumers faster.

Chen Lian, who heads the Australian pavilion, said repeat purchases of large family-size and combination packs rose this year, a sign the product has genuinely entered consumers' daily cooking-oil rotation. Li Haichao, who heads the Nordic import pavilion, said Gothenburg biscuits — made with a whole-wheat base, oat grains and natural butter, and labelled 'no added sucrose' or 'low sugar' — fit Chinese afternoon-tea occasions that are extending into offices and homes. New Zealand's kiwifruit growers' association reports that the 2026 season harvest will total about 225 million trays, each holding roughly 30 fruit, breaking the 2025 record of 216 million trays.

China will receive 18 bulk vessels over the year, supplying about 46 million standard retail cartons. Zespri RubyRed kiwifruit is expected to reach 5.3 million standard retail cartons in global supply in 2026, of which 1.8 million standard retail cartons go to Greater China; airfreight volumes will reach 26,000 standard retail cartons, with sales expected to rise nearly 70 per cent from a year earlier. Jiang Shijie, president of Zespri Greater China and South Asia, said sales in China have grown nearly 20-fold over the past 15 years and are expected to keep growing at close to 10 per cent over the next five to 10 years.

MitoQ, a New Zealand cellular health brand that entered China in 2017, has posted double-digit growth in import value from a year earlier and will unveil a new product line at the ninth CIIE in November. In May and June, China's imports from Africa rose 23.5 per cent year on year, with fruit imports climbing sharply: avocados up 130 per cent, apples up 89.6 per cent and oranges up 27.9 per cent. The 'Export to China' series has staged more than 40 events at home and abroad.

The Ministry of Commerce said it will maintain a 'policy plus events' dual-drive approach and strengthen coordination between 'Export to China', 'Buy in China' and 'Invest in China'.

Commentary

Zespri, the flagship of New Zealand's horticultural exports, now counts China as its largest single market. Sales there have grown nearly 20-fold over the past 15 years, and in the 2026 season China will take about 46 million standard retail cartons — more than one-fifth of global supply. With China's agricultural imports up 7.4 per cent in the first seven months and total imports up 22 per cent, the pull of Chinese consumption upgrading on New Zealand's high-value agri-food exports has not weakened.

Two parallel signals deserve the attention of New Zealand SMEs. First, health positioning and functionality are reshaping the competitive logic of imported food. Australian canola oil is winning a place in everyday cooking-oil rotation on the back of the 'reduce oil' trend, while Nordic Gothenburg biscuits are opening up afternoon-tea occasions with 'no added sucrose/low sugar' formulations — evidence that Chinese buyers have moved from 'origin portfolios' to 'formulation solutions'.

Second, sources of competition are more diverse. China's fruit imports from Africa are growing rapidly, with avocado imports up 130 per cent, while Australia and Northern Europe are also taking health-food shelf space. New Zealand companies cannot rely solely on a 'pure origin' label; they should spell out the specific health benefits of their products — low sugar, high fibre, particular functional ingredients — and use ready-made distribution-testing channels such as the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub and the China International Import Expo (CIIE) to lower entry costs.

MitoQ's double-digit growth and consecutive CIIE appearances show that in niche tracks such as cellular health, New Zealand brands can build awareness through research stories. The steady arrival of Zespri's 18 bulk ships, however, rests on vertical integration and long-term brand investment that SMEs find difficult to replicate.

Keywords: import growth, Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub, Zespri kiwifruit, agricultural imports, canola oil, consumption upgrade, China International Import Expo (CIIE), Export to China, China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), MitoQ

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

今年以来中国进口保持良好增长势头：前7个月进口同比增长22%，自150多个贸易伙伴的进口实现正增长；同期农产品进口额达9041亿元，同比增长7.4%。在上海绿地全球商品贸易港，澳大利亚芥花籽油、北欧哥德堡饼干等民生消费类好物加速进入中国市场。澳大利亚馆负责人陈莲表示，今年该产品大容量家庭装和组合装复购率上升，说明已真正进入消费者日常用油轮换；北欧进口馆负责人李海潮介绍，哥德堡饼干以全麦基底、燕麦颗粒、天然黄油且标注“无添加蔗糖”或“低糖”的配方，适配了向办公室和家庭延伸的中国下午茶场景。

据新西兰奇异果种植者协会消息，2026产季采收总量约2.25亿箱（每箱约含30枚），打破2025年2.16亿箱的纪录，中国市场全年将迎来18艘散货船到港，供应量约4600万标准零售箱；佳沛宝石红奇异果2026年全球供应量预计530万标准零售箱，其中180万标准零售箱销往大中华区，航空运输规模达2.6万标准零售箱，销量预计比去年同期增长近七成。佳沛大中华及南亚太区总裁蒋时杰透露，过去15年间佳沛在华销量增长近20倍，预计未来5~10年内仍将保持近10%的持续增长。2017年进入中国市场的新西兰细胞健康品牌MitoQ，目前进口额比去年同期实现两位数增长，11月将携全新产品线亮相第九届进博会。

今年5—6月，中国自非洲进口同比增长23.5%，鳄梨、苹果、橙子等水果进口分别增长1.3倍、89.6%、27.9%；“出口中国”系列活动已在境内外举办超40场。商务部表示，将坚持“政策+活动”双轮驱动，强化“出口中国”与“购在中国”“投资中国”联动。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

佳沛作为新西兰园艺出口的旗舰，中国已是其最大单一市场，过去15年在华销量增长近20倍，2026产季中国将承接约4600万标准零售箱——相当于全球供应量的五分之一强。这一数据放在中国进口农产品前7个月增长7.4%、进口整体增长22%的背景下，说明中国消费升级对新西兰高价值农食产品的拉动力并未减弱。值得NZ SME注意的是两个并行信号：一方面，健康化、功能化正重塑进口食品的竞争逻辑，澳大利亚芥花籽油因“减油”趋势进入日常用油轮换，北欧哥德堡饼干以“无添加蔗糖/低糖”配方打开下午茶场景，表明中国买家已从“产地集合”转向“配方解决方案”；另一方面，竞争来源更加多元，中国自非洲进口水果增长迅速，鳄梨增幅达1.3倍，澳大利亚、北欧也在抢占健康食品货架。

新西兰企业不能仅靠“纯净原产”标签，而应明确自身产品的具体健康利益点（如低糖、高纤维、特定功能成分），并借助绿地贸易港、进博会等现成分销测试渠道降低进入成本。MitoQ实现两位数增长并连续参加进博会，说明在细胞健康等细分赛道，新西兰品牌可以凭科研故事建立认知。但佳沛的18艘散货船稳定到港依靠的是垂直整合与品牌长线投入，中小企业难以照搬，更务实的做法是在特定品类中做深做透，或与大型出口商的冷链、渠道资源协同。

2026产季宝石红奇异果对华供应增长近七成，预示高端水果的窗口仍在扩大，但能否抓住复购，取决于产品是否真正嵌入中国消费者的日常场景——正如那些大容量家庭装芥花籽油复购率上升所揭示的，可持续增长来自使用频次而非一次性尝鲜。

关键词: 进口增长, 绿地全球商品贸易港, 佳沛奇异果, 农产品进口, 芥花籽油, 消费升级, 进博会, 出口中国, 中澳自贸协定, MitoQ

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