On 25 June 2024, China's State Administration for Market Regulation and New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries signed the Arrangement on Cooperation in Infant Formula Food Safety, aiming to enhance communication and collaboration in infant formula registration, ensure the quality and safety of formula exported to China, and facilitate bilateral trade. The arrangement leverages existing forums for technical discussions and exploration of further cooperation opportunities. China's annual pass rate for infant formula sampling inspections exceeds 99%, with continuous product quality improvement.

New Zealand is China's largest source of imported dairy products, with import value reaching NZ$18.58 billion in the first four months of this year. In 2023, New Zealand's dairy exports totalled NZ$26.008 billion, with China accounting for 35%. In terms of product mix, whole milk powder holds 69.3% of China's import share, cheese 59.9%, and cream 87%, but whole milk powder imports fell 26.5% year-on-year.

Independent dairy analyst Song Liang noted that New Zealand is adapting to changes in China's market demand, shifting from whole milk powder to high-value products such as butter, cheese, whey powder, and infant formula ingredients. Bai Wenxi, Vice Chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Alliance, believed the cooperation will promote exchanges in infant formula production, regulation, and testing, create a fair and transparent market environment, and help New Zealand companies grasp China's market demand and expand market share.

This NZ-China infant formula cooperation arrangement directly affects you (New Zealand SME owners) through improved market access and reduced compliance costs. On one hand, the arrangement clarifies the registration communication mechanism, likely simplifying the approval process for infant formula exported to China and shortening the product launch cycle. On the other hand, technical exchanges under the Joint Committee on Food Safety may lead to more unified testing standards, reducing duplicate testing costs.

Notably, China's regulation of infant formula continues to tighten: the revised Administrative Measures for Registration of Infant Formula Formula Products in 2023 raised the entry bar, and this cooperation helps you adapt to policy changes in advance. In terms of market demand, Chinese consumers have strong demand for high-quality infant formula, but competition is fierce—the EU and US hold advantages in whey-based and infant formula segments, so New Zealand needs to strengthen differentiation, such as promoting grass-fed and organic features. Song Liang's signal on product restructuring is clear: whole milk powder imports are declining, while demand for cheese and butter is rising.

This means if you operate dairy processing, you could consider increasing supply of cheese and whey powder; if you are an exporter, monitor China's import policy changes for high-value ingredients like concentrated whey protein. The opportunity lies in possible brand mutual recognition pilots, allowing SMEs to leverage official endorsement for consumer trust; the risk is that compliance costs may squeeze margins if passed through the supply chain. In conclusion, this cooperation is not a silver bullet—its success depends on implementation details such as registration recognition timelines and coordination of technical standard differences.

Keywords: infant formula, food safety, NZ-China cooperation, registration, market access, trade facilitation, high-value products, market regulation

2024年6月25日，中国国家市场监督管理总局与新西兰初级产业部签署《关于婴幼儿配方乳粉食品安全合作安排》，旨在加强双方在婴配乳粉注册领域的沟通与合作，保障输华婴配乳粉质量安全，便利双边贸易。该合作通过现有论坛开展技术讨论与交流，探索进一步合作机会。中国婴配乳粉年度抽检合格率超过99%，产品质量持续提升。

新西兰是中国进口乳制品第一大来源国，今年前4个月进口额达18.58亿美元。2023年新西兰乳制品出口额260.08亿新元，中国市场占比35%。产品结构上，大包粉占中国进口份额69.3%，奶酪59.9%，奶油87%，但大包粉进口量同比下降26.5%。

独立乳业分析师宋亮指出，新西兰正适应中国市场需求变化，从大包粉转向高附加值产品如黄油、奶酪、乳清粉及婴配原料。中国企业资本联盟副理事长柏文喜认为，合作将促进双方在婴配乳粉生产、监管、检测等方面的交流，创造公平透明的市场环境，并助力新西兰企业把握中国市场需求，扩大市场份额。

这一中新婴配乳粉合作安排对您（新西兰中小企业主）意味着直接的市场准入优化与合规成本降低。一方面，合作明确了注册沟通机制，输华婴配乳粉的审批流程有望简化，缩短产品上市周期。另一方面，食品安全联合委员会框架下的技术交流，可能催生更统一的检测标准，减少重复测试费用。

值得注意的是，中国对婴配乳粉的监管持续趋严，2023年修订的《婴幼儿配方乳粉产品配方注册管理办法》提高了准入门槛，合作有助于您提前适应政策变化。从市场需求看，中国消费者对高品质婴配乳粉需求强劲，但竞争激烈——欧盟、美国在乳清类及婴配领域占优，新西兰需强化差异化优势，例如主打草饲、有机等特色。宋亮提到的产品结构调整信号明确：大包粉进口量下滑，反之奶酪、黄油需求上升。

这意味着如果您经营乳制品加工，可考虑增加奶酪、乳清粉等品类供应；若为出口商，建议关注中国对高附加值原料（如浓缩乳清蛋白）的进口政策变化。机遇在于，合作可能带来品牌互认试点，中小企业可借力官方背书提升消费者信任；风险在于，合规成本若向全产业链传导，可能挤压利润空间。结语：此次合作并非一劳永逸，落地的关键在具体执行细节，例如注册互认的时限、技术标准差异的协调方案。

关键词: 婴幼儿配方乳粉, 食品安全, 中新合作, 注册, 市场准入, 贸易便利化, 高附加值产品, 市场监管

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Source: NetEase