They were made aware last Thursday that China had issued new rules for New Zealand meat certification, the ministers say. They had been seeking clarity around the impacts of those requirements and officials have negotiated their implementation.
"I am currently in China and we have a warm and professional relationship which has enabled us to quickly resolve this," Guy says. "We have a very successful trading relationship underpinned by the free trade agreement. No other country is ahead of us in terms of meat access into China."
Ms Kay says the new rules mean veterinarians must be directly linked to the last site the meat was at before export. The new requirements became clear when industry advised the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) that one shipment of meat was being delayed at the northern China port of Dalian.
A total of 1323 consignments or an estimated 30,000 tonnes of meat is being blocked at Dalian. Letters of assurance and scanned certificates are being arranged by MPI officials.
Kaye says we have agreed to a new process of certification that addresses consignments en-route to China and new overseas market access requirements (OMAR).
Chinese meat officials will be in New Zealand next week to progress the comprehensive new meat access arrangements for the future.
The Government has been speaking to the meat industry and from Monday there will be new processes in place that meet the new Chinese requirements.
But Labour's spokesperson for Primary industries Damien O'Connor says the lag in communication between Chinese authorities and Government ministers responsible for ensuring a secure passage for our meat exports is concerning.
"A new set of rules for meat exports to China, introduced following the latest shipment hold-up in Dalian, could have serious ramifications for the industry.
"If the Chinese require the veterinarian certification of all meat, the Government may have to reverse its programme of deregulation for meat inspection in freezing works across the country.
"This is our most important growth market and the new Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy and his new super ministry are failing in their duty to nurture and build it," says O'Conner. "If they don't sort this quickly our advantage through our early Free Trade Agreement with China will be lost to our competitors."
O'Conner says despite assurances the meat trade is secure, delays are becoming increasingly common. Guy speaks about 'successful trading relationship' with China, but until he gets his advice ahead of time, the relationship will be seen as a "work in progress".
"How many new certification processes can the industry expect this year and what can the industry expect from new meat access negotiations due to be discussed by officials next week?" says O'Connor.
"Government ministers have once again given only vague and timid excuses for the latest meat holdup, frustrating those whose business relies on absolute efficiency.
"There is much more going on here than the minister is prepared to say. He has blamed his officials, dumped on his new Ministry system and used the Food Safety Authority as a crutch, but still we find shipments blocked at the border. The minister needs to make sure he has the confidence of Chinese authorities," O'Connor says.
