Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong responded on 21 May to the White House’s claim that China will purchase US$17 billion worth of American agricultural products (excluding soybeans) annually for the next three years, stating that agricultural trade is an important part of China-US economic and trade cooperation. In recent economic and trade consultations, the two sides reached a series of positive consensus on resolving some non-tariff barriers and market access issues for agricultural products, agreed in principle to include relevant products in a reciprocal tariff reduction framework, and set guiding targets for expanding two-way agricultural trade. He Yadong emphasised that both sides should create favourable conditions for two-way agricultural trade, promote the resumption and continuous expansion of trade cooperation in the agricultural sector.

Specific procurement details and agreement implementation await further clarification.

The consensus between China and the US on agricultural trade is a positive signal for China's market opening. For New Zealand small and medium enterprise owners, caution is needed as US agricultural products may crowd out China's market share, especially in competitive categories such as beef and dairy products. However, the easing of China-US relations is also conducive to the stability of the overall trade environment, and China’s tariff reductions and non-tariff barrier removals may indirectly benefit market access for New Zealand products.

It is recommended that New Zealand exporters monitor China's reciprocal tariff reduction list; if similar New Zealand products are not excluded, they can leverage differentiated quality and brand stories to capture the high-end market. In addition, they should closely follow the implementation details of subsequent China-US agreements, assess the impact of US agricultural subsidies and export incentives on prices, and flexibly adjust export pace. Conclusion: New Zealand enterprises need to accelerate diversification of their China market presence to avoid over-reliance on a single category.

Keywords: China-US trade, agricultural trade, Ministry of Commerce, He Yadong, White House, purchase plan, tariff reduction, non-tariff barriers, market access, reciprocal tariff reduction

商务部新闻发言人何亚东5月21日回应白宫关于中国未来三年每年购买170亿美元美国农产品（不含大豆）的说法，表示农产品贸易是中美经贸合作的重要组成部分。近期经贸磋商中，双方就解决部分农产品非关税壁垒和市场准入问题达成一系列积极共识，原则同意将相关产品纳入对等降税框架安排，并设定了扩大农产品双向贸易的指导性目标。何亚东强调，双方应为双向农产品贸易创造有利条件，推动恢复并不断拓展农产品领域贸易合作。

具体采购细节和协议执行有待进一步明确。

中美就农产品贸易达成共识，对中国市场开放度提升是积极信号。对新西兰中小企业主而言，需警惕美国农产品可能挤占中国市场份额，尤其是牛肉、乳制品等竞争品类。但中美关系缓和也有利于整体贸易环境稳定，中国降低关税和非关税壁垒可能间接惠及新西兰产品准入。

建议新西兰出口商关注中国对等降税清单，若新西兰同类产品未被排除，可借助差异化品质和品牌故事抢占高端市场。此外，应密切跟踪中美后续执行细节，评估对美国农产品补贴和出口激励对价格的影响，灵活调整出口节奏。结语：新西兰企业需加速中国市场多元化布局，避免过度依赖单一品类。

关键词: 中美经贸, 农产品贸易, 商务部, 何亚东, 白宫, 购买计划, 关税减免, 非关税壁垒, 市场准入, 对等降税

Photo by Redfam on Pixabay

Source: Penguin Account