Photo: Chen Xia/GT

"Our products have received much exposure at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and many of our items have become bestsellers. The CIIE really helped us enter the vast Chinese market," Jack Hu Tao, chairman of Pacific Alpaca Home Textile Group, told the Global Times on Wednesday at the 8th CIIE, which is the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports.

Boosted by frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries' leaders in recent years, New Zealand companies have shown strong confidence in the CIIE, the Global Times learned.

"In addition to displaying products at our booth, we will demonstrate our products via livestreaming in cooperation with Chinese online influencers this year, and I expect sales of products will increase by 60 percent this year from last year's level," said Hu, whose company has participated in the event multiple times. Sales of alpaca-related products such as quilts and down jackets by Pacific Alpaca benefit around 800 New Zealand alpaca farms and 8,000 farmers.

"Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to China in June this year holds great significance for us. We hope to build on the sound bilateral ties to promote deeper cooperation in high-end textiles and green manufacturing," Hu said, noting that Chinese consumers' demand for high-end and eco-friendly products are on rise over the years.

According to Xinhua News Agency, New Zealand products such as fruit juice, honey and bottled water are among the exhibits displayed at the expo, which opened on Wednesday.

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, a regular participant since the first CIIE, highlighted the importance of the Chinese market - not only as a major consumer market but also as a platform for innovation-driven growth.

"This is my third visit to the CIIE, and Fonterra's eighth overall. I am increasingly inspired by the expo's role as a catalyst for innovation and trade," Miles Hurrell, CEO of Fonterra, New Zealand-based dairy company, told the Global Times in a statement on Wednesday.

"Last year, we brought our entire management team to the CIIE, where we learned first-hand about how China speed drives dynamic innovative vitality. I believe that the CIIE brings great learning opportunities to gain valuable insights into the Chinese market," Hurrell said.

"Fonterra has achieved significant growth in China in the past four decades, and China is now one of our most important strategic markets," Hurrell said, adding that China's ongoing efforts to open its business environment have created tremendous opportunities for multinationals.

Roy Francis Van Den Hurk, a representative of Milk New Zealand Dairy Ltd, told the Global Times on Wednesday that China is a major importer of dairy products, with growing demand for healthy, high-quality goods.

"The CIIE helps improve our relations and help a lot of smaller New Zealand companies coming here," he said.

As of January 1, 2024, all New Zealand dairy products can enter the Chinese market tariff-free and without quotas, marking the full implementation of the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, according to Chinese Embassy in New Zealand in June. More than 98 percent of New Zealand's exports to China now enjoy zero-tariff access.

In 2024, trade between China and New Zealand totaled NZ$38.26 billion ($21.58 billion), with exports to China accounting for 20.6 percent of New Zealand's total exports and 25 percent of its total goods exports, supporting more than 100,000 jobs. China remains a key market for several major sectors - absorbing 31 percent of New Zealand's dairy exports, 61 percent of its timber and 24 percent of its meat, according to official data.

In the first half of 2025, bilateral trade rose 6.3 percent year-on-year to $10.85 billion, according to official data. China exported $3.66 billion in goods to New Zealand and imported $7.19 billion, up 10.8 percent year-on-year.

Chen Hong, director of the New Zealand Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that economic and trade relations have always been crucial drivers of bilateral ties. He added the Chinese market is irreplaceable for New Zealand companies, as reflected in the bilateral trade structure and complementarity.

The CIIE serves as a green passage for new New Zealand market entrants to access the vast Chinese market, helping them precisely match supply and demand and establish long-term partnerships with Chinese buyers, Chen said, adding that the two countries' free-trade agreement has also greatly facilitated bilateral trade.