Beijing has extended its ban on Australia’s $1.5b wood exports industry and disrupted Australia’s $780m lamb trade, as local farmers grumble about China’s inconsistent COVID restrictions.
A notice by China’s customs officials said timber from Tasmania and South Australia were banned on Monday, as the Morrison government negotiated the passage of legislation that had angered Beijing.
“Recently, the customs of Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, and Qingdao intercepted live forest pests from imported logs from Tasmania and South Australia,†said the notice from China’s Customs, announcing the ban.
The relevant situation has been notified to the Australian authorities,†the notice said.
Meanwhile, two Victorian based lamb and sheepmeat exporters, the Australian Lamb Company and JBS Brooklyn, have had their licenses to export to China suspended for more than four months after they self-reported COVID-19 outbreaks.
They remain suspended without any update from Chinese officials, despite Victoria notching up 40 consecutive days without any local coronavirus cases.
While the two Australian plants remain suspended, meat exports to China from the United States – the world’s coronavirus hotspot – have continued seemingly without interference.
The Australian Lamb Company’s Colac location. Picture: Alan Barberer
The Australian Lamb Company’s Colac location. Picture: Alan Barberer
“There’s one rule for the US and one rule for everyone else,†a farming source told The Australian, asking not to be identified because of political sensitivities.
In January, China committed to increase its purchases of US agricultural goods by more than $14b to almost $50b in 2020 in a trade deal with the Trump administration.
Many local farmers fear pressure from the Trump administration over those commitments has contributed to China’s trade retaliation against Australian agricultural exports.
As well as the disruption of two of Australia’s biggest lamb exporters, China this week further squeezed Australia’s $2.8b beef export trade.
On Monday, as the Morrison government negotiated the passage of legislation that had angered Beijing, a sixth Australian beef supplier was blocked by China.
That same day, a timber ban already imposed on Queensland in October and Victoria in November, was extended to Tasmanian and South Australia.
China’s Customs has said the four states have been banned after insects were found during inspection of the imported logs.
In 2019, Australia exported over $1.5b of timber and woodchips to China.
No reason has yet been given for the suspension of Queensland-based abattoir Meramist leading to speculation it was linked to the Morrison government’s Foreign Relations Bill – passed on Tuesday – that would allow Canberra to rescind Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement.
China in late August banned the family-owned meat predecessor John Dee, a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the proposed law.
The latest hit to Australia’s agricultural industries comes less than a fortnight after China’s Ministry of Commerce imposed an up to 212 per cent tariff on Australian wine, crippling the $1.3b export trade.
Since the Morrison government called for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus in April, China has expunged Australia’s $600m annual barley exports with an 80 per cent tariff, banned timber from Queensland and Victoria, halted Australia’s $700m lobster trade ahead of the end-of-year banquet season and held up more than $1b of Australian coal off its coast.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said his department was investigating any possible non-compliance by the Queensland abattoir, while admitting the reason for the suspension was still unclear.
“I understand that we will be receiving formal notification from Chinese authorities regarding the reasons for the suspension,†the Queensland-based Nationals deputy leader said.
In 2019, Australia exported a record $2.8b of beef to China, according to the industry’s peak body Meat & Livestock Australia. That year, China became the industry’s biggest customer, buying almost one quarter of Australia’s $11.3 total beef and veal exports.
In addition to the six Australian abattoirs suspended by Chinese authorities – including the Chinese-owned Kilcoy meatworks in Queensland, officially over labelling issues – another two were suspended after they self-reported COVID-19 cases.
Other meat producers around the world have had their import licences restored after COVID related suspensions. That includes meatworks in coronavirus hot spots in South America and Europe.
By contrast, all eight producers in almost coronavirus free Australia remain suspended. Another 36 Australian meat establishments are still exporting to China.
Popular nationalistic news website Guancha on Tuesday noted the new beef suspension was the latest of a number of trade actions taken following “unhealthy anti-China trends†in Australia, including “Hong Kong-related issues, Huawei’s 5G infrastructure, or the conspiracy theory of the origin of the coronavirus.â€
Despite China’s more than seven month trade retaliation campaign, Australia this year has already exported more goods to the country than in any year except 2019.
Official figures released by China on Monday revealed Australia’s exports to China in the first 11 months of the year were $142b ($US105.3b), down 4 per cent on the same period in the previous year.
Australia’s exports to its biggest customer have been buttressed by strong sales of iron ore, worth well over $80b annually at current prices, and its second biggest export to China, LNG.
Both commodities – key strategic resources for the world’s second biggest economy – have been unaffected by China’s trade relatalition.
A notice by China’s customs officials said timber from Tasmania and South Australia were banned on Monday, as the Morrison government negotiated the passage of legislation that had angered Beijing.
“Recently, the customs of Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, and Qingdao intercepted live forest pests from imported logs from Tasmania and South Australia,†said the notice from China’s Customs, announcing the ban.
The relevant situation has been notified to the Australian authorities,†the notice said.
Meanwhile, two Victorian based lamb and sheepmeat exporters, the Australian Lamb Company and JBS Brooklyn, have had their licenses to export to China suspended for more than four months after they self-reported COVID-19 outbreaks.
They remain suspended without any update from Chinese officials, despite Victoria notching up 40 consecutive days without any local coronavirus cases.
While the two Australian plants remain suspended, meat exports to China from the United States – the world’s coronavirus hotspot – have continued seemingly without interference.
The Australian Lamb Company’s Colac location. Picture: Alan Barberer
The Australian Lamb Company’s Colac location. Picture: Alan Barberer
“There’s one rule for the US and one rule for everyone else,†a farming source told The Australian, asking not to be identified because of political sensitivities.
In January, China committed to increase its purchases of US agricultural goods by more than $14b to almost $50b in 2020 in a trade deal with the Trump administration.
Many local farmers fear pressure from the Trump administration over those commitments has contributed to China’s trade retaliation against Australian agricultural exports.
As well as the disruption of two of Australia’s biggest lamb exporters, China this week further squeezed Australia’s $2.8b beef export trade.
On Monday, as the Morrison government negotiated the passage of legislation that had angered Beijing, a sixth Australian beef supplier was blocked by China.
That same day, a timber ban already imposed on Queensland in October and Victoria in November, was extended to Tasmanian and South Australia.
China’s Customs has said the four states have been banned after insects were found during inspection of the imported logs.
In 2019, Australia exported over $1.5b of timber and woodchips to China.
No reason has yet been given for the suspension of Queensland-based abattoir Meramist leading to speculation it was linked to the Morrison government’s Foreign Relations Bill – passed on Tuesday – that would allow Canberra to rescind Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement.
China in late August banned the family-owned meat predecessor John Dee, a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the proposed law.
The latest hit to Australia’s agricultural industries comes less than a fortnight after China’s Ministry of Commerce imposed an up to 212 per cent tariff on Australian wine, crippling the $1.3b export trade.
Since the Morrison government called for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus in April, China has expunged Australia’s $600m annual barley exports with an 80 per cent tariff, banned timber from Queensland and Victoria, halted Australia’s $700m lobster trade ahead of the end-of-year banquet season and held up more than $1b of Australian coal off its coast.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said his department was investigating any possible non-compliance by the Queensland abattoir, while admitting the reason for the suspension was still unclear.
“I understand that we will be receiving formal notification from Chinese authorities regarding the reasons for the suspension,†the Queensland-based Nationals deputy leader said.
In 2019, Australia exported a record $2.8b of beef to China, according to the industry’s peak body Meat & Livestock Australia. That year, China became the industry’s biggest customer, buying almost one quarter of Australia’s $11.3 total beef and veal exports.
In addition to the six Australian abattoirs suspended by Chinese authorities – including the Chinese-owned Kilcoy meatworks in Queensland, officially over labelling issues – another two were suspended after they self-reported COVID-19 cases.
Other meat producers around the world have had their import licences restored after COVID related suspensions. That includes meatworks in coronavirus hot spots in South America and Europe.
By contrast, all eight producers in almost coronavirus free Australia remain suspended. Another 36 Australian meat establishments are still exporting to China.
Popular nationalistic news website Guancha on Tuesday noted the new beef suspension was the latest of a number of trade actions taken following “unhealthy anti-China trends†in Australia, including “Hong Kong-related issues, Huawei’s 5G infrastructure, or the conspiracy theory of the origin of the coronavirus.â€
Despite China’s more than seven month trade retaliation campaign, Australia this year has already exported more goods to the country than in any year except 2019.
Official figures released by China on Monday revealed Australia’s exports to China in the first 11 months of the year were $142b ($US105.3b), down 4 per cent on the same period in the previous year.
Australia’s exports to its biggest customer have been buttressed by strong sales of iron ore, worth well over $80b annually at current prices, and its second biggest export to China, LNG.
Both commodities – key strategic resources for the world’s second biggest economy – have been unaffected by China’s trade relatalition.
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