Tuesday, 21 September 2021 12:55

China demands, NZ delivers

Written by  Peter Burke
MIA chair John Loughlin says China is one of the most demanding export markets in the world. MIA chair John Loughlin says China is one of the most demanding export markets in the world.

Meat Industry Association chair John Loughlin says China is one of the most demanding export markets in the world.

This is particularly so in the present Covid-19 environment and Loughlin says NZ companies need to be aware of the strict Chinese health requirements, or risk being excluded from that market.

China is very concerned about the possibility of Covid coming into the country on imported products and he says there is a belief the virus can survive on packaging materials stored in cool environments. Loughlin says NZ meat companies have to be aware of China’s high import standards – especially in regard to Covid.

“The Chinese are a net importer of food and it has to strike a balance about keeping Covid out and keeping its people safe,” Loughlin told Rural News. “There is no indication that they will ban individual countries from sending product to China because of Covid-related matters. But, at the same time, they have removed access on a temporary basis for individual meat processing sites that have had problems.”

He says, in extreme cases, if the Chinese have felt all is not right with a company, they have banned imports from that company.

Suspensions can take a long time to reverse and in some cases a year. “Their approach is that they need to be satisfied on the controls at the individual processing plants and companies.”

Loughlin says there are also instances when the bans have been lifted within a matter of days.

The companies most at risk are smaller, singlesite operations and Rural News is aware that no stone is left unturned by these companies to meet the strict Chinese standards, which can change depending on the Covid- 19 situation.

Loughlin says China is particularly demanding and there is an expectation within the Chinese Party system and government that it will keep people safe, hence the very high standard of import requirements.

“China came late to the world of global trade and didn’t have a set of import rules, so it looked around the world and took the most demanding standards from each country and pulled those into a package,” he explains. “They took something from one country and another thing from another country and so on – so that’s why Chinese standards are so high.”

Loughlin says in China there is a big expectation on government officials that imported goods will meet the higher standards and will keep their people safe.

He says China and NZ have taken similar approaches to dealing with Covid by trying to stamp out the virus and that bodes well for us.

Loughlin believes NZ is very capable of meeting the Chinese standards but warns companies can never relax their vigilance on this issue.

More like this

Editorial: NZ's great China move

OPINION: The New Zealand red meat sector, with support from the Government, has upped the ante to retain and expand its niche in the valuable Chinese market - and the signs are looking positive.

Red meat's China push

The red meat sector is launching a new campaign to lure Chinese consumers to New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb.

Primary sector chuffed

Meat Industry Association chair Nathan Guy says his organisation welcomes the new trade deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), noting the UAE is the second largest market for the red meat sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council after Saudi Arabia.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter