New Zealand CIIE Exhibits Depart Auckland for Shanghai

Summary

A departure ceremony for New Zealand and South Pacific island country exhibits bound for the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in Auckland on 15 September, with containers of specialty products officially setting off for Shanghai and expected to arrive in mid-October. The ninth CIIE will run from 5 to 10 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai. Wang Chengguang, director of the commercial office at the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland, said New Zealand companies' enthusiasm for participating in the expo keeps rising as China's economy continues to release certainty dividends, and the New Zealand pavilion will reach a record size.

He called on more New Zealand firms to make full use of the CIIE as a globally shared international public platform and to practise the philosophy of 'in China, for China, growing together with China'. COSCO Shipping Lines (New Zealand) has provided professional transport services to exhibitors from New Zealand and other countries for nine consecutive years. The cargo carried this time includes New Zealand dairy products as well as specialty products from South Pacific island countries such as Fijian mineral water and Niuean juice.

The entire transport process uses a digital supply chain full-chain service, with refined management of temperature-controlled goods such as dairy products to ensure freshness after trans-ocean shipping. The CIIE has become an important window for quality New Zealand goods to enter the Chinese market, with dairy, meat, fruit, wine and wood products accelerating into the lives of Chinese consumers through the platform. Given the high standards for transport and customs clearance of fresh and temperature-controlled goods, close coordination is required across all stages, from full-container departure at Auckland port and sea freight cold-chain temperature control to customs clearance at Shanghai port and last-mile delivery.

Commentary

The CIIE has become a key springboard for New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the Chinese market, and this year's record New Zealand pavilion size reflects the resilience and complementarity of China-New Zealand trade ties. China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, with primary products such as dairy and meat long dominating exports, but smaller brands are often constrained by channel access and brand recognition. The CIIE offers a platform for direct engagement with Chinese buyers and consumers, and for specialty products from South Pacific island countries such as Fijian mineral water and Niuean juice, it is a rare exposure opportunity.

COSCO Shipping's nine consecutive years of carrying exhibits, with its digital cold-chain management ensuring that temperature-controlled goods such as dairy products retain quality after trans-ocean shipping, lowers the logistics threshold for SMEs. However, exhibiting alone does not equal market success; companies need to follow up continuously after the expo on distribution networks and local compliance. From a competitive standpoint, similar products from Australia and the EU are also vying for Chinese market share, and New Zealand firms should highlight a differentiated positioning of 'pure and sustainable'.

For NZ SMEs, it is worth focusing on B2B matchmaking events during the CIIE and using the tariff preferences under the China-New Zealand free trade agreement to turn one-off participation into long-term orders.

Keywords: Ninth CIIE, New Zealand exhibits departure, Auckland, COSCO Shipping, New Zealand pavilion, dairy products, South Pacific island countries, Wang Chengguang, cold-chain logistics, China-New Zealand trade

Source: Big Data Cross-border