Australia – China trade relations set to

improve

September 2023 Australia’s Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, has announced this week that Australia’s two largest barley producers will be allowed to export their grain to China. The producers had previously been prevented from exporting grain by the Chinese customs agency. The announcement represents a further breakthrough in the Australia-China trade relationship after China removed a number of punitive tariffs on Australian products. Co-Operative Bulk Handling and Emerald Grain will now be reinstated as registered exporters, with permission to have their products enter China. Minister Watt said that removal of the suspensions was a result of ongoing discussions between the two countries and was great news not only for Australian farmers but the whole grain supply chain. The Australian government hopes that the improvement in the trade relationship between the two nations will result in beneficial change for other industries, where trade barriers still exist. Trade Minister Don Farrell is hopeful recent trade developments with China will lead to more tariff removals. He viewed the removal of tariffs on Australian barley as a positive sign for other products like wine. Minister Farrell said that the template used for barley could work for wine. More negotiations are required on issues regarding wine, lobsters, and meat imports. China’s decision to allow tour groups to travel to Australia has also been seen as a breakthrough. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has considered a future visit to Beijing. Tourism expected to spike as Chinese resume visits to Australia Chinese tour groups will be able to travel to Australia for the first time since borders closed in the pandemic. The reopening will mean the influx of hundreds of thousands of extra travellers and a boost in tourism. Beijing reinstated Australia to the approved list of outgoing group travel destinations this week. Federal Tourism Minister Don Farrell said it was welcome news for the industry, with the extra travellers expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in Australia. In 2019, more than a quarter-of-a- million Chinese holiday makers visited Australia and spent over half-a-billion dollars as part of Beijing’s approved destination status scheme.

Greek Tribune Adelaide, South Australia