Business & Trade
Importing and exporting between New Zealand and China
Selling into China? Start with export support, market requirements and trade agreements. Bringing goods into New Zealand? Start with Customs, then check the food, biosecurity or product-safety rules for what you intend to sell. The links below take you to the organisations responsible.
Exporting from New Zealand
Explore an export market or find in-market support
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise helps New Zealand exporters make market decisions and connect with in-market partners. Its Greater China page lists Guangzhou and Hong Kong offices and an enquiry route; importers of New Zealand products or services can also contact them. Give the product or service, target market, stage of the business and specific help sought.
Food and primary products: check the destination's requirements
MPI's China market pages bring together guidance for food, animal products, wine and organics, including establishment registration. PIER's export search covers phytosanitary requirements for plant products; animal products have separate guidance. When contacting MPI Exporter Help, include the ingredients or materials, intended use, destination and who will manufacture the product.
MPI PIER: plant-product export requirements
MPI: China market requirements and establishment registration
Check the trade agreement for your destination
The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement and the New Zealand-Hong Kong, China Closer Economic Partnership are separate agreements. Start with the agreement for the actual market, then use MFAT's goods-exporter guide to understand classification, origin and supporting documents. A lower tariff depends on the applicable rules; an agreement does not remove every market-entry requirement.
MFAT: New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement
MFAT: New Zealand-Hong Kong, China Closer Economic Partnership
Ask an export question or report a trade barrier
The Export Helpdesk accepts export questions and trade-barrier reports. Its page links to the reporting form and Tariff Finder, and lists [email protected]. For a specific problem, give the market, product or service, the rule or decision involved, its date and any supporting correspondence.
Importing into New Zealand
Prepare a commercial import into New Zealand
Use Customs' start-importing guide for prohibited or restricted goods, import declarations and applicable duty, GST and charges. Its client-code service provides the application forms and supporting-document instructions. A client code is required for imports worth NZ$1,000 or more, and for food for sale, ingredients used in food for sale and motor vehicles regardless of value.
Food for sale: register with MPI
Food, beverages and ingredients for sale in New Zealand must be imported by an MPI-registered food importer, or through an agent who is registered. A Customs client code alone is not food-importer registration. Use MPI's registration guidance to check eligibility, the application and renewal requirements, and the food-safety duties that apply to your product.
Check product safety before placing an order
Check whether your product is covered by a mandatory safety standard and obtain evidence that the exact model complies before ordering. Toys and other consumer products can have product-specific rules. Electrical products also have importer and supplier obligations: use WorkSafe's guidance to identify the applicable safety, testing and documentation requirements. Customs clearance does not replace those responsibilities when supplying the product in New Zealand.
Check biosecurity before the goods leave
Use MPI's PIER import search to look up biosecurity requirements for the commodity you plan to bring in. Describe the materials, ingredients and intended use when asking MPI which rules apply. Keep this separate from Customs clearance and food-importer registration; each answers a different part of the import process.