Commerce with New Zealand grows as trade pact upgraded

An international freighter loaded with a portion of New Zealand's latest season of kiwifruit arrived in early April at Taizhou Port in Zhejiang province.

At the Port of Tauranga, Bruce Cameron－a longtime kiwi grower, chairman of Zespri, and a cooperative of the nation's growers－said he couldn't hide his excitement as he watched the cargo being loaded for Taizhou. He said he looked forward to every Chinese consumer being able to try the cooperative's fruit.

"Our 2,000 containers loaded on 20 vessels will be shipped to China one after another. In the next five years, we plan to double our sales in China to satisfy the appetite of more Chinese consumers," Cameron said.

Over the past 20 years, Cameron has fostered good relations with his Chinese business partners. In November, Zespri was named an Authorized Economic Operator, a certification issued by China's General Administration of Customs that allows the recipient's products faster clearance into the country.

China accounts for a 25 percent share of Zespri's kiwi exports. Cameron has promised to pay close attention to health regulations and strictly abide by the requirements of quarantine inspection and risk controls, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 1990s, Zespri began cultivating a new variety of kiwis, developed through a natural breeding program, the company said on its website. The new yellow-fleshed gold variety had a less furry outside and a sweeter taste, it said.

With an increasing number of middle-income Chinese consumers, the appetite for top-end foods is growing, and more people are buying imported and domestic tropical fruits to explore a wider variety of foods.

Last year, trade between China and New Zealand reached nearly 160 billion yuan ($25.16 billion), up 27.2 percent year-on-year. The value of fruit imported from New Zealand reached 4.15 billion yuan. Zespri's sales in China hit 350 million yuan, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

By 2025, China is predicted to become the world's largest consumer market. The expansion and upgrading of that market will lead to a greater demand for agricultural products, said Chi Fulin, president of the China (Hainan) Institute for Reform and Development.

Last year, China imported more than 100,000 metric tons of kiwis through Shanghai South Port. The port receives about 80 percent of all of Zespri's kiwi exports to China, Customs officials said.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. In that time, their economic ties have grown rapidly.

"In the past 50 years, bilateral relations between New Zealand and China have become increasingly close, and bilateral cooperation in many fields such as economics, trade and culture has continued to expand," said Clare Fearnley, New Zealand's ambassador to China.

Fearnley said the improvement of relations between New Zealand and China would bring significant benefits to fruit and horticultural businesses in New Zealand. "The trade exchanges between the two countries are quite resilient. I believe they will definitely recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic."

She said she hopes for "complete success" for exports of New Zealand kiwis to China this year.