China and New Zealand Confirm Mutual Recognition of Organic Products

On Nov. 14, 2016, China AQSIQ and CNCA signed the “Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Organic Products” with Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand (MPI), confirming a new bilateral organic product recognition system between the two countries.

Every batch of organic products exported from New Zealand to China will be affixed with an organic product certificate issued by MPI, and every batch of organic products exported from China to New Zealand will be affixed with the corresponding unified certificate issued by China CNCA. Furthermore, all organic products should be labeled with a China organic logo and code.

Both countries agreed on organic product standards, certification requirements, scope of mutual recognition, follow-up surveillance, etc. and will greatly facilitate trade between the two countries.

New Zealand is a country with a developed organic product industry and has already achieved mutual recognition with EU and USA. China already imports a huge volume and value of both food products and food commodities from New Zealand which ranks 4^th behind the EU, US and Australia.