CANBERRA: Australia’s trade and agriculture ministers said on Tuesday (Dec 12) that China had lifted restrictions on imports of meat from three large abattoirs in Australia, in the latest sign of improving relations between the two countries.
China blocked imports of Australian commodities including coal, timber and barley after Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 in 2020.
Most of these restrictions have been removed since a change of government in Canberra last year.
China is the biggest overseas buyer of Australian lamb and mutton and the fourth-biggest buyer of its beef.
While trade in other commodities collapsed due to tariffs or other trade barriers, many Australian abattoirs could still ship to China and export volumes were little changed in recent years.
The trade and agriculture ministers said China’s customs agency had announced the lifting of restrictions overnight.
Reuters could not immediately reach Chinese Customs for comment. A list of meat exporters approved to export to China on the Customs website still showed the three Australian firms as suspended.
Restrictions were imposed on the three abattoirs in 2020 and 2022 after cases of COVID-19 were reported among their workers.
Eight other Australian meat producers remain suspended. These have been banned due to what China says are issues over labelling or contamination.
Source: CNA
