SYDNEY, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Over 70 companies from the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW) will feature at this week's China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, exhibiting everything from meat, milk and wine to health supplements and skincare products.
Among the companies represented will be health brands Blackmores and Abundant Natural Health, dairy producers A2 Milk and Norse, as well as agriculture giants SunRice and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).
State Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade John Barilaro toured the expo on Wednesday, describing it as a great example of China's new "Silk Road," creating massive trade opportunities for the world's exporters, including NSW.
"Two-way trade between NSW and China topped 44 billion Australian dollars (about 30.2 billion U.S. dollars) last year, making China our largest trading partner and the location for over a quarter of our state's total exports," Barilaro said.
"A key driver of successful exports to China is developing face-to-face contacts and attending an event such as CIIE provides a fantastic opportunity to build these valuable relationships."
According to Barilaro, another key feature of the relationship is the China-Australia free trade agreement which came into effect in 2015.
"China's import duties on processed food products from Australia are now zero, giving our exporters an advantage of up to 25 percent against products supplied by countries without a free trade agreement," he said.
Although much of NSW is currently in drought, Barilaro added that production remains high and the state's resilient agriculture sector is a reliable source of food that Chinese importers and consumers can access and enjoy.
"NSW's global reputation for clean, reliable and high-quality products can help meet the growing need for more imported foods, beverages, and consumer goods in China," he said.
