The Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) General Administration has announced it has temporarily banned all import of kiwiberries from New Zealand.
The Administration has cited bio-security risks as a reason for the blockage. Before, the kiwiberry was assessed similarly to kiwifruit, which has full market access.
The fruit are similar in size to grapes but resemble kiwifruit and have a smooth, edible skin. An MPI spokesman said China had placed a temporary suspension on imports of kiwiberries. The Chinese and New Zealand authorities are now working to solve the problem. Since 2011, New Zealand has exported an estimated 100 tonnes of kiwiberries to China.
