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Businesses trading in goods
To qualify for the reductions in tariffs under the free trade agreement, rules applying to the origin of goods must be met and followed. Use the Tariff Finder(external link) for more information on how to complete four key steps involved in this process:
- Establish the tariff classification for the good
- Check the tariff commitments in the relevant tariff schedule
- Determine the Rules of Origin (ROO) applying to the good
- Documentation and other requirements
For further information about China’s Rules of Origin requirements, read the Customs fact sheets for the China free trade agreement:
Importing from China and Rules of Origin(external link) - Fact sheet 37
Exporting to China(external link)
Special requirements for electrical and electronic goods
The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Mutual Recognition Arrangement (EEE MRA) is an annex to the New Zealand-China free trade agreement. It represents an opportunity for significant savings for companies manufacturing electrical and electronic equipment in New Zealand who export to China.
New Zealand is one of the only countries in the world where China Compulsory Certification (CCC) can be approved outside of China. The EEE MRA allows the conformity assessment process to be carried out in New Zealand by approved New Zealand conformity assessment bodies and factory inspectors. This means product does not need to be sent to China for testing and Chinese factory inspectors do not need to be flown to New Zealand.
For a full list of the products included under each of the product categories and the standards they need to meet, refer to Schedule A.1 [PDF, 723 KB] and Schedule A.2 [PDF, 1.6 MB] to the EEE MRA.
If you have general inquiries regarding the EEE MRA, contact eeemra@mbie.govt.nz
Service sector businesses
The free trade agreement delivers services commitments that expand our existing commitments in the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). These commitments are listed in Annex 8 of the free trade agreement and include the general obligations of national treatment (treating each other’s service suppliers the same as local suppliers) and market access (not placing certain limits, such as quotas, that reduce market access).
You can use Annex 8 of the free trade agreement to find out:
- whether your business might benefit from the commitments, based on sectoral classifications
- if covered, whether there are specific restrictions for your business
- if there are any additional commitments for your service
FTA Annex 8, Schedules of Specific Commitments on Services: China and New Zealand
Under most-favoured nation treatment (MFN) provisions, both countries have committed to extend to certain service suppliers any more favourable treatment that we agree to provide in future free trade agreements with other economies. These provisions protect the competitive position of New Zealand and China into the future by ensuring that others who negotiate free trade agreements with China in the future do not end up with better conditions than apply to New Zealand businesses. See Annex 9 for more detail on these provisions.
Investments
The free trade agreement delivers investment commitments to protect investors and the competitive position of New Zealand businesses. Under most-favoured nation treatment (MFN) provisions, both countries have committed to extend to investors and their investments any more favourable treatment that we agree to provide to other foreign investors under future investment arrangements. These provisions protect the competitive position in New Zealand and China into the future by ensuring that others who negotiate investment arrangements with China in the future do not end up with better conditions than apply to New Zealand businesses.
The free trade agreement includes an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism. This provides New Zealand investors with access to binding third-party arbitration procedures if the Chinese Government breaches the investment provisions. There are, however, a number of provisions designed to safeguard the government’s right to regulate and to avoid exposure to frivolous claims. See the NZ China FTA National Interest Analysis for more detail on these safeguards.
Read more in Chapter 11 of the FTA - Investment.