New Zealand - China Free Trade Agreement.

Special Agricultural Safeguards – Provisional Trigger Volumes for 2012 Released

Under Article 13 of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement, some New Zealand dairy products are subject to Special Agricultural Safeguards (SSG) which provide for a certain volume of material in each of four categories to be exported annually under preferential tariff rates.  Once this volume has been reached, the tariffs on these items may be the lesser of the MFN tariff or the bound rate for the remainder of the calendar year.  The trigger volume (i.e. the volume at which the special safeguard measure is applied) varies from year to year depending on the volume of goods traded under the scheme in the previous year.  That is, SSG trigger levels for subsequent years are adjusted downwards to take account of product which receives preference in excess of the designated volume being in transit at the time the trigger volume was reached (roll-over).

China Customs has recently released the provisional trigger volumes for 2012 in each of the four categories to which SSGs are applied, (table below).  Please note that these figures are provisional and are intended as a reference only. 
If you have any questions about the Safeguards or about the China Free Trade Agreement generally, please contact the China FTA desk officer, Asia Regional Division,  the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on (04) 439-8000.

Import Statistics of Special Agricultural Products under China New Zealand FTA 2011 and Safeguard Trigger Level set for year 2012

Category Tariff item Description

Provisional Safeguard Actual Trigger Level for 2012 (tons)
ONE

0401.2000

Milk or cream, not concentrated not added sugar, of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 1% but not exceeding 6%

1086.3
 

0401.3000

Milk or cream, not concentrated not added sugar, of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 6%

  
TWO

0402.1000

Of solid forms, of a fat content, by weight, not exceeding 1.5%

112524.5
 

0402.2100

Not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter

  
 

0402.2900

Of Solid forms, added sugar, of a fat content exceeding 1.5%

  
 

0402.9100

Concentrated but not containing sugar or other sweetening matter, not in solid forms

  
THREE

0405.1000

Butter

11201.3
 

0405.9000

Other fat or oil derived from milk

  
FOUR

0406.1000

Fresh Cheese (unripened or uncured)

4258.8
 

0406.3000

Processed cheese, not grated or powdered

  
 

0406.9000

Other cheese

  

  • The above data was collected up until 16 October 2011;

  • The above import volume was calculated by the Customs electronic data center, this may differ from the actual import volume;

  • Customs have activated special safeguard measures in regard to the agricultural products in Category Ono/Two/Three/Four. The import volume shown in the above table indicates the import volume that applies to agreed tariff rate up to the closing date (including goods in transit);

  • The import volume of the above agricultural products (four categories) include the import volume in transit in year 2010, which applies to the agreed tariff rate;

  • The Safeguard Trigger levels for 2012 are an estimated provisional figure and should be used for reference only. 

 

  • Page last updated: 12 January 2012