Video from 6th China International Import Expo & Yangtze Reconnection NZ Trade Mission

The foundation of New Zealand's economy is the export of agricultural commodities such as dairy products, meat, forest products, fruit and vegetables, and wine. China comfortably retained its status as New Zealand's largest trading partner.

China Chamber is committed to helping NZ exporters as China returns to economic normalcy in 2023. We hosted numerous events utilizing the extensive resources of our members onshore and offshore. You saw many of the highlights in the below video with the success at the Sixth China International Import Expo in Shanghai 2023. As the New Zealand Recruiting Agent, we host a well-attended Information Session here at the Cordis earlier in the year. It has become a significant platform that was oversubscribed, even though we secured a larger exhibit area. Emerging SMEs were able to exhibit alongside larger companies in the ‘New Zealand Pavilion’, benefiting from the increased traffic and the organiser's support services. It is great to see how some companies have grown in just a few years, first exhibiting in our dedicated Pavilion and outgrowing the space to book their booth.

‘Patea Maori Group’ from New Zealand Māori Tourism made our opening ceremony very special, attracting buyers to our Pavilion to distinguish it from others.They also performed at our Suzhou Business Forum and a public performance in Wuxi that attracted a large audience and was well received.

We believe face-to-face meetings are essential to connect and build relationships of trust. We decided to create more opportunities for our exporters by travelling further beyond Shanghai with the Yangtze Reconnection trade mission continuing to Suzhou and Wuxi which proved to be mutually beneficial for the diverse delegation representing new energy, new economy, and new technology. We invited relevant speakers and businesses for match-making sessions that should build strong relationships working together in this new environment. These people-to-people exchanges are very effective.