Yunshijie chairman Xia Yang, head of CCPIT Guangzhou’s NZ liaison office

Summary

New Zealand's Consul-General in Guangzhou, Rachel Crum, visited the Guangzhou office of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on 24 February, leading a delegation that included Vice-Consul Kerrianne Joe and Trade Consul Veronic Chan. They met CCPIT Guangzhou chairman Yang Yong, deputy chairman Zhang Yan, and Xia Yang, who heads the council's New Zealand liaison office and chairs both New Zealand AFC Group and Yunshijie Network Technology. Yang said China is New Zealand's largest export market and that Guangzhou and New Zealand enjoy close trade ties and complementary industry strengths.

Yunshijie, a B2B exhibition and trade services platform focused on food, has contributed significantly to New Zealand exports to China and to two-way trade in food and agricultural products, he said. Crum noted that New Zealand and China mark 51 years of diplomatic relations and that the two countries enjoy strong diplomatic and economic ties, and said she hoped to deepen cooperation with CCPIT Guangzhou. Xia said AFC Group was the first Chinese-funded company to list in New Zealand.

With support from the New Zealand Consulate-General in Shanghai, it hosted a White Diamond wine tasting and a matchmaking event for New Zealand food and agricultural suppliers and buyers at the fifth China International Import Expo in 2022. New Zealand's ambassador to China, Clare Fearnley, and Consul-General in Shanghai Stephen Wong visited the AFC stand, he said. Crum thanked Xia for his contribution to New Zealand investment and trade, and said she would support AFC Group's business in China and the growth of Yunshijie, and would work to deepen New Zealand-China trade in food and agricultural imports and exports.

The two sides also discussed the participation of New Zealand companies in the RCEP imported food section of the 133rd Canton Fair, which Yunshijie is organising, and related events.

Commentary

The meeting between New Zealand's Consul-General in Guangzhou and officials from CCPIT Guangzhou and Yunshijie shows how food trade with China is being advanced at the provincial level. For small and medium-sized New Zealand exporters, it is more than a diplomatic exchange: it is a signal about market access channels into China. China is New Zealand's largest export market and food and agricultural products account for a substantial share.

Tariffs on dairy, meat and wine have fallen further since RCEP took effect, but smaller exporters are often constrained by distribution networks and compliance costs. Platforms such as Yunshijie, which combines B2B trade with exhibitions and works on a 'one country, one city; one product, one pavilion; one company, one store' model, integrate online and offline resources and take on projects including the RCEP imported food section at the Canton Fair and an extension platform for the China International Import Expo. That gives New Zealand firms a low-cost entry point for showcasing and matchmaking, and is particularly useful for reaching tier-two and tier-three cities.

Companies should nonetheless assess the market soberly. Competition in China's imported food segment is intense, domestic brands are moving upmarket and rivals such as Australia are expanding quickly, so relying on a single platform can weaken bargaining power. Customs registration, Chinese-language labelling and food safety standards are strict, and while exhibiting on a light-asset basis is easy, converting interest into repeat orders still requires investment.

AFC Group, the first Chinese-funded company to list in New Zealand, offers a useful reference for New Zealand suppliers through its government and business networks and operating experience in China, though smaller firms should keep their brands independent and retain control of their channels. With the RCEP section of the 133rd Canton Fair set to open, New Zealand food companies that are interested should contact the trade office of the consulate and Yunshijie early to confirm product eligibility and booth arrangements, and to turn participation into actual purchase enquiries rather than a purely promotional appearance.

Keywords: New Zealand-China trade and economic cooperation, Yunshijie, New Zealand AFC Group, CCPIT Guangzhou, Xia Yang, Rachel Crum, food and agricultural imports and exports, 133rd Canton Fair, China International Import Expo, RCEP imported food section

Source: Cloud Food World Efoodline