New Zealand Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has projected that bilateral trade between New Zealand and China will reach NZ$43 billion in 2026, with potential to grow to NZ$50 billion within five to six years. In an exclusive interview with 21st Century Business Herald, McClay emphasised that the NZ-China FTA serves as a beacon demonstrating the positive outcomes achievable when partners commit to lowering barriers, reducing costs, and facilitating trade. He highlighted that New Zealand imports over NZ$20 billion annually in goods and services from China, and that the grass-fed certification system for NZ food products has been successfully implemented.

McClay also noted new energy vehicle dialogue between the two countries and visa facilitation measures, including Chinese tourists with Australian visas being able to visit New Zealand visa-free.

新西兰贸易与投资部长麦克莱预计2026年中新双边贸易额将达到430亿新西兰元，未来五到六年内有望达到500亿新西兰元。麦克莱在接受21世纪经济报道专访时强调，中新自贸协定是展示降低壁垒、减少成本和促进贸易便利化积极成果的灯塔。他指出新西兰每年从中国进口超过200亿新西兰元的商品和服务，新西兰草饲食品认证体系已成功落地实施。麦克莱还提到两国间的新能源汽车对话和签证便利化措施，包括持澳大利亚签证的中国游客可免签前往新西兰。

The NZ$43 billion bilateral trade figure and NZ$50 billion target provide a clear quantitative benchmark for measuring NZ-China trade relationship growth. For context, NZ’s total GDP is approximately NZ$400 billion, meaning China trade represents over 10% of NZ economic output. The grass-fed certification system represents an important non-tariff competitive advantage that NZ should continue to develop and promote.

The visa facilitation and NEV dialogue initiatives show that the bilateral relationship extends well beyond traditional goods trade into services, investment, and people-to-people connections. NZ exporters should view the NZ$50 billion target as both an opportunity and a call to action to diversify and deepen their China market strategies.

430亿新西兰元双边贸易额和500亿目标为衡量新中贸易关系增长提供了清晰的量化基准。作为参考，新西兰GDP约为4000亿纽币，这意味着对华贸易占新西兰经济产出的10%以上，其重要性不言而喻。草饲认证体系代表了重要的非关税竞争优势，新西兰应继续发展和推广这一差异化定位。签证便利化和新能源汽车对话表明，双边关系远超传统商品贸易范畴，已延伸到服务贸易、投资和人文交流等多个维度。新西兰出口商应将500亿纽币目标视为明确的行动号召，积极多元化并深化其中国市场战略布局。

Photo by AI on MiDeer Observer

Source: 21st Century Business Herald (Nanfang Media Group)

Disclaimer / 免责声明：This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, trade, or investment advice. / 本文仅供参考，不构成法律、贸易或投资建议。