Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, visited the Suzhou bonded zone in Shanghai during his recent visit to China to see the new system in operation.

“The milk produced by North Coast dairy farmers is highly valued in China,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“Chinese consumers prefer Australian dairy products, like those produced by Norco, which they believe are safe and healthy.

“With fresh Australian milk selling for $8-$10 per litre in China, the potential benefits for our farmers and local economy are significant.

“The new clearance process developed by Australian company Peloris Global Sourcing (PGS) makes it possible for Norco milk to be on shelves in Chinese stores within a few days of being processed.

“China has strict food health and safety standards that often require time-consuming testing of imported dairy products before they can be released for sale.

“The PGS system ensures that the milk is kept cold throughout the entire export process, managing the ‘cold chain’ with high-tech sensors and monitors which provide the Chinese authorities with accurate, secure, and reliable data.

“With this data, the Chinese authorities have confidence to release shipments for sale to Chinese consumers sooner.

“This new clearance process, when coupled with the tariff reductions secured in the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, will produce long-term benefits for local dairy farmers, providing another source of income in addition local sales.

Mr Hartsuyker was given a tour of the Shanghai warehouse by PGS managing director and North Coast local Peter Verry. He was also accompanied by representatives of the Chinese quarantine agency AQSIQ. 

Background Information:

China imported 590,000 tonnes of dairy products from Australia during 2015-16 financial year, worth about $US674 million.

Under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, tariffs on Australian dairy exports will gradually be reduced to zero by 2024.