"This agreement will deliver substantial benefits to local producers," Mr McCormack said.

The new pact will be a boost to Riverina wine exporters, with the current trade tariff of up to 30 per cent being eliminated within four years.

"Given Riverina's long-standing and internationally-acclaimed ability to produce the very best wines, there is unlimited potential with this new deal with China," Mr McCormack said.

While rice is not among the products on the tariff agreement, Mr McCormack said he had raised the issue with Federal Trade Minister Andrew Robb.

Mr Robb indicated Australian rice was being assessed as part of negotiations with China regarding possible future trade arrangements under the new deal.

"Sheep and goat meat, presently lumped with a tariff as high as 23 per cent, will eventually not have such an imposition thanks to this new deal," Mr McCormack said.

"The trade agreement will also be good for horticulture, which in 2013 was worth $83 million in Australian exports to China.

"Horticulture has previously competed with tariffs as much as 30 per cent but these will be gone in as little as four years, which will be welcomed by citrus growers and others."

Riverina beef, grain, pork, poultry and wool growers will also be winners from the deal, according to Mr McCormack.

THE Ricegrowers' Association of Australia (RGA) has lambasted the federal government for excluding rice in its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China.

The agreement was signed on Monday, with RGA president Les Gordon disappointment the industry had been left out.

He said rice had missed out on FTAs with Korea, Japan and now China in the past year.

"We are disappointed the FTA with China was not as comprehensive as it could have been as it did not include all agricultural products," Mr Gordon said.

"We are pleased for the agricultural industries that will benefit from this agreement with China over the next few years, given the significance of the Chinese market and the economic benefits the agreement will bring to Australian farmers.

"Our hope is Australian rice growers will benefit from market access into China in the future and our focus now is on finalising import quarantine protocols with Minister Barnaby Joyce and the Department of Agriculture."

Australian rice technically already has access to the Chinese market under World Trade Organisation rules, but the industry has been waiting for protocols to be finalised for more than six years to gain access.

CITRUS Australia has welcomed the China Australia Free Trade Agreement that will progressively remove tariffs on Australian citrus.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott joined with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jingping on Monday to announce the agreement.

China has agreed to eliminate all citrus tariffs over eight years.

Orange tariffs are currently 11 per cent and mandarin tariffs 12 per cent.

Citrus Australia chief executive officer Judith Damiani said the new agreement was good news for citrus growers.

"Though the time frames are a little long, this is a great outcome for Australian citrus," she said.

"China is our fastest growing and highest valued export market reaching $30 million to September 2014."