(CTN News) – China has ended its import ban on five Australian beef producers, according to the Australian government, marking a positive development amidst years of strained relations between Beijing and Canberra.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated on Thursday, “China has lifted its suspension of five Australian meat processing establishments. This is encouraging news for our producers and underscores the steady and measured approach adopted by the Albanese Labor government.”
In 2020, Chinese authorities imposed restrictions on a range of Australian imports, including coal, wine, barley, and rock lobsters, following then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s call for an international investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
China Trade Restrictions and Political Retaliation
While Beijing claimed the measures were related to trade issues like dumping, they were widely perceived in Australia as political retaliation against Canberra.
Many of these restrictions have since been lifted since Anthony Albanese, leader of the centre-left Labor Party, became prime minister in 2022, succeeding nearly a decade of conservative government.
According to Australian trade data, China was the second-largest international market for Australian beef last year, importing around $1.6 billion worth of exports.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that suspensions had been lifted for eight beef processing facilities, with imports from three producers already resumed last year. However, two facilities are still under suspension.
“We have consistently emphasized that it is in the best interests of both Australia and China to remove remaining trade impediments,” Wong said. She noted that less than