New Zealand Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay led a delegation of 70 businesses to the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai from 5-10 November 2024. McClay said New Zealand and China can cooperate in areas such as climate change and clean energy, and the two sides have held the 5th NZ-China Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change. China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching NZ$380 billion in 2023, four times the level when the free trade agreement was signed in 2008.

New Zealand's economy is highly reliant on exports, with 90% of products exported, mainly in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Most exporters are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 20 employees. McClay emphasised showcasing safe, high-quality products and services through CIIE, aiming to double export value within ten years.

In emerging sectors such as health, nutrition, and gaming, he welcomed extensive cooperation between NZ and Chinese companies.

For SME owners, CIIE offers direct access to the Chinese market. Firstly, the 70-company delegation reflects the high priority New Zealand officials place on trade with China, and SMEs can leverage this government platform to reduce market entry costs. Secondly, McClay's mention of emerging areas like health, nutrition, and gaming provides direction for product differentiation – SMEs can explore high-value-added categories rather than relying solely on traditional dairy, meat, and fruit.

On the other hand, cooperation on climate change and clean energy may spawn new trade standards (e.g., carbon footprint labels); if your products meet green requirements, that could become a competitive advantage. However, competition in the Chinese market is fierce, and dairy accounts for a large share of the NZ$380 billion trade, so new categories require precise targeting. It is advisable to prioritise post-expo buyer matchmaking events and monitor progress on mutual recognition of green certifications arising from the 5th NZ-China Climate Dialogue.

Keywords: CIIE, New Zealand, trade, Minister McClay, SMEs, cooperation, dairy, climate change, export, green finance

新西兰贸易与农业部长麦克莱率70家企业代表团参加2024年11月5日至10日在上海举办的第七届中国国际进口博览会。麦克莱表示，新西兰与中国可在气候变化、清洁能源等领域合作，双方已开展第五次中新气候变化部长级对话。中国是新西兰最大贸易伙伴，2023年双边贸易额达380亿新西兰元，是2008年自贸协定签订时的四倍。

新西兰经济高度依赖出口，90%产品用于出口，以农业、渔业、林业为主，出口商多为20人以下中小企业。麦克莱强调将通过进博会展示安全优质产品与服务业，并致力于在十年内使出口额翻番。在新兴领域如健康、营养、游戏产业，乐见中新企业广泛合作。

对中小企业主来说，进博会带来了直接接触中国市场的机会。首先，70家企业组成的代表团规模表明新西兰官方对华贸易的高度重视，中小企业可借助政府搭建的平台降低开拓成本。其次，麦克莱提及的健康、营养、游戏等新兴领域，为产品差异化提供了方向——中小企业可探索高附加值品类，而非仅依赖传统乳肉果品。

另一方面，气候变化与清洁能源合作可能催生新的贸易标准（如碳足迹标签），若您的产品符合绿色要求，将成为竞争优势。但需注意，中国市场竞争激烈，且380亿纽元贸易额中乳制品占比高，新品类需精准定位。建议优先关注进博会后的采购商对接活动，并关注第五次中新气候对话可能带来的绿色认证互认进展。

关键词: 进博会, 新西兰, 贸易, 农业部长麦克莱, 中小企业, 合作, 乳制品, 气候变化, 出口, 绿色金融

Photo by Josh Tere on Unsplash

Source: Baijiahao