New rules for meat exports to China will be implemented on Monday next week, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye said today.
'On Thursday we were made aware that China had issued new rules for New Zealand meat certification,” Ministers say.
'In the last 48 hours we have sought 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,” Mr 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.”
'The new rules mean that veterinarians must be directly linked to the last site the meat was at before export,” Ms Kaye says.
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.
Since then New Zealand government officials both in New Zealand and China have been working to clarify the new requirements and negotiate rules to enable a smooth transition.
After a positive meeting last night in China, we have agreed to a new process of certification that addresses consignments en-route to China and new overseas market access requirements (OMAR).
'I am working with officials over the weekend to make sure quick and effective implementation of the documentation for the current consignments. We have worked on a pragmatic solution to enable current consignments to be cleared and trade to continue,” Ms Kaye says.
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.

Source: Office of Nathan Guy and Nikki Kaye.