China-NZ Business Symposium Deepens Trade Links, Food Sector in Focus

Summary

A China-New Zealand business exchange symposium, coordinated by the New Zealand Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, was held on 29 September at the Guangzhou headquarters of Yunshijie. Facilitated by the New Zealand Consulate-General in Guangzhou, the event drew Joshua Tan, executive director of the New Zealand Export Association and New Zealand Manufacturers Association, along with representatives of chamber member companies. Discussions covered New Zealand's business environment, party policies ahead of the New Zealand general election, China-NZ agricultural and food trade, and cross-border digital cooperation.

Cooperation intentions were reached and a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed. Cao Yuheng, executive vice president of the New Zealand Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, said Guangdong's industrial and consumer markets are highly complementary to New Zealand's agricultural and food resources. The chamber has been building a two-way trade bridge, promoting imports of New Zealand specialty products to China, helping Chinese companies enter the New Zealand market, and establishing the New China Commodity Expo, a prepared food production-research centre, and overseas warehouses for long-term cooperation between companies from both countries.

Joshua Tan said the New Zealand Export Association has 2,000 member companies, while New Zealand has about 10,000 exporters in total, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. China is a core export market for New Zealand, but many small and medium-sized food companies have yet to fully tap its potential. High logistics costs and a complex international environment are the main challenges for companies going global, while New Zealand's domestic market also offers opportunities for imported food.

Xia Yang, vice president of the New Zealand Guangdong Chamber of Commerce and chairman of Yunshijie, said that under the upgraded China-NZ Free Trade Agreement and RCEP policy dividends, China-NZ food trade is growing well, but New Zealand SMEs still face compliance, channel and supply chain difficulties in entering China. As a Guangdong high-tech enterprise and a model case company of the China International Fair for Trade in Services, Yunshijie has mature digital foreign trade service capabilities. It will rely on its platform to jointly build a global export service platform, and leverage the credibility of New Zealand food quality to provide integrated digital solutions for overseas companies entering the Chinese market.

During the interaction, Joshua Tan praised Yunshijie's digital traceability capabilities, expressed willingness to recommend New Zealand local companies for pilot cooperation, and extended an invitation for a business exchange visit, inviting Yunshijie to join the association's global service provider directory. A signing ceremony for the strategic MOU was held at the event, where parties established a long-term strategic cooperative relationship and will carry out in-depth collaboration in business matching, food trade and digital empowerment. New Zealand Guangdong Chamber of Commerce vice president Liu Heng, council member Xie Hanlin, and members Li Tuchao and Li Huifeng attended the exchange.

Commentary

The New Zealand Export Association has 2,000 member companies, while the country has about 10,000 exporters, with SMEs making up a high proportion. Yet many small and medium-sized food companies have not fully tapped the potential of the Chinese market. Under the upgraded China-NZ Free Trade Agreement and RCEP policy dividends, food trade is growing well, but high logistics costs and compliance and channel difficulties remain major obstacles.

Yunshijie, as a digital service platform, has gained New Zealand recognition for its traceability capabilities and is expected to provide compliance and channel support for New Zealand SMEs entering the Chinese market. From an industry perspective, China's imported food market continues to expand, but competition is intense, with rivals such as Australia and the EU also vying for share. New Zealand food is known for quality and safety, but SMEs lack brand awareness and channel resources, and digital tools may lower the threshold for market entry.

The signing of this MOU, if pilot cooperation is implemented, could provide a replicable digital export model for New Zealand SMEs, but actual execution and cost-sharing need to be watched.

Keywords: China-New Zealand Business Exchange Symposium, New Zealand Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, Yunshijie, Strategic Memorandum of Understanding, New Zealand Export Association, New Zealand Manufacturers Association, Joshua Tan, Agricultural and Food Trade, Digital Traceability, RCEP

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

9月29日，由新西兰粤商会牵头对接的中新经贸交流合作座谈会在云食界广州总部举办。活动由新西兰驻广州总领馆牵线，新西兰出口局、新西兰制造业协会执行董事Joshua Tan受邀出席，商会会员企业代表参会，围绕新西兰营商环境、新西兰大选政党政策、中新农牧食品贸易、跨境数字化合作开展交流，现场达成合作意向并签署战略合作备忘录（MOU）。新西兰粤商会常务副会长曹誉恒介绍，广东产业与消费市场同新西兰农牧食品资源优势互补，商会持续搭建双向经贸桥梁，推动新西兰特色产品对华进口，同时助力国内企业开拓新西兰市场，并为新中两国企业长期合作建设了新中商品博览会、预制菜产销研中心和海外仓。

Joshua Tan介绍，新西兰出口协会拥有2000家企业会员，而新西兰出口企业总数约1万家，出口主体以中小企业为主；中国是新西兰核心出口市场，但大量中小食品企业尚未充分挖掘中国市场潜力，当前物流成本高企、国际环境复杂是企业出海的主要挑战，同时新西兰本土市场也为进口食品带来合作空间。新西兰粤商会副会长、云食界董事长夏阳表示，在中新自贸协定升级、RCEP政策红利下，中新食品贸易增长向好，但新西兰中小企业进入中国仍面临合规、渠道、供应链等难题；云食界作为广东省高新技术企业、服贸会示范案例企业，具备成熟的外贸数字化服务能力，将依托平台能力共建面向全球的出口服务平台，借助新西兰食品品质公信力，为海外企业进入中国市场提供一体化数字化解决方案。互动交流中，Joshua Tan对云食界数字化溯源能力给予高度肯定，表示愿意推荐新西兰本土企业参与试点合作，并发出商务互访邀约，邀请云食界入驻协会全球服务商目录。

活动现场举行战略合作备忘录（MOU）签约仪式，各方确立长期战略合作关系，将在企业对接、食品贸易、数字化赋能等领域开展深度协作。新西兰粤商会副会长刘恒、理事谢翰林、会员李钍潮、李汇锋参加交流活动。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

新西兰出口协会拥有2000家企业会员，而全国出口企业约1万家，中小企业占比高，但大量中小食品企业尚未充分挖掘中国市场潜力。中新自贸协定升级和RCEP政策红利下，食品贸易增长向好，但物流成本高企、合规与渠道难题仍是主要障碍。云食界作为数字化服务平台，其溯源能力获得新方认可，有望为新西兰中小企业提供进入中国市场的合规与渠道支持。

从行业格局看，中国进口食品市场持续扩大，但竞争激烈，澳大利亚、欧盟等对手也在争夺份额。新西兰食品以品质和安全性著称，但中小企业缺乏品牌认知和渠道资源，数字化工具或可降低市场进入门槛。此次MOU签署，若试点合作落地，可能为新西兰中小企业提供可复制的数字化出口模式，但需关注实际执行效果与成本分摊。

关键词: 中新经贸交流合作座谈会, 新西兰粤商会, 云食界, 战略合作备忘录, 新西兰出口局, 新西兰制造业协会, Joshua Tan, 农牧食品贸易, 数字化溯源, RCEP

Source: NZ Guangdong Chamber of Commerce