The New Zealand government has stopped issuing export certificates for meat exported to China, after shipments were rejected by the Chinese customs authorities, according to reports Monday.

This is the latest move by the New Zealand government after shipments of New Zealand lamb and beef were rejected by China's customs this month because of the name change of the New Zealand regulating authority on the documents.

The confusion was over the name change of the New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which merged with two other agencies into the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said New Zealand officials had worked around the clock to provide additional technical information to Chinese authorities over the weekend.

"This information will be given to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. This will enable them to pass it on to port authorities, a process which may take some days," Guy said in a statement on Monday.

New Zealand officials were also talking with their counterparts in China Monday to see what further information or support was needed, said Guy.

Meanwhile, people within the meat industry had confirmed the government had stopped issuing the export documentation and had indicated it would not resume until the issue had been resolved.

The move "effectively shuts down the lucrative trade for now and has left meat companies in New Zealand picking up the bill for storing their product at ports," reported Radio New Zealand.

Guy noted that overall trade to China was still flowing well.

Xinhua