Cans of pure New Zealand air will join other Kiwi souvenir products on the shelves in tourist shops.

A Christchurch company plans to sell canned South Island sea air to visiting Chinese, as well as exporting to polluted Chinese cities.

The Breathe Ezy aerosol cans filled with 7.2 litres of "pure New Zealand air" will contain enough for about 130 deep breaths, according to company director Phillip Duval.

DEAN KOZANIC/FAIRFAX NZ Breathe Ezy director Phillip Duval is confident visiting Chinese tourists will snap up canned New Zealand air.

Another New Zealand company, Pure Kiwi Air, is already selling canned air to Asian countries, and Duval​ said there were other competitors in Canada and Australia.

READ MORE:

* Canned air for sale in China as smog returns

* The Lorax inspires Auckland couple to sell Kiwi air to polluted Asian countries

* Entrepreneurs sell cans of clean Australian air to China

* Bottled fresh air from Canada sells out in China

For that reason he would not divulge the method or location for air collection, other than to say it was "beautiful crisp clean air" from near the South Island's east coast, well away from smog or car exhaust fumes.

The aerosol cans would retail here for about $28, which works out about 21 cents a dose, and they come with a plastic mask so users get an uncontaminated slug of fresh air.

Duval said although Breathe Ezy would focus on exporting to mainland China, it would also target the growing Chinese tourist market.

"If people buy one or two [cans] to take back with them as a souvenir, they're taking a little bit of New Zealand. It's quite a different gift compared to buying a little plastic kiwi."

Duval said he had confirmed Chinese visitors could safely pack the aerosol cans in their checked luggage when they flew home.

The company's first 5000 cans were en route to Beijing where Duval believed they would be popular with well-heeled residents worried about high pollution levels.

"If you're walking down the street in Beijing and inhaling all the little gritty particles and goodness knows what else, you can take out a can and give yourself a bit of a squirt with the mask on and be transported to the other side of the world."

The can carried an image of snow-covered mountains and a second consignment of 7500 cans might contain different "varieties" of air.

"We've had enquiries from China wanting air collected from specific locations up in the Southern Alps, or a river location, or somewhere that has a significance for them," Duval said.

"We haven't done that yet, but we're looking at it, and possibly even extending it for people who place a large order. We could take a helicopter up into the Alps and collect some air from 5000 feet."