China removes tariff on Australian barley

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Friday confirmed to Canberra it has removed anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian barley.

Canberra welcomed the move which will see a drop of 80.5% in tariffs.

Beijing’s move comes after Australia agreed in April to temporarily suspend a case against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Penny Wong, the Australian foreign minister, said Beijing’s move “paves the way for our barley exporters to re-enter the Chinese market – benefiting Australian producers and Chinese consumers.”

“It affirms the calm and consistent approach” that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese government has taken, she said in a statement.

Beijing imposed duties on Australian barley in May 2020 which “effectively blocked exports to that market, worth about $916 million in 2018-19,” said Wong.

“The removal of these duties means that Australia will now discontinue legal proceedings at the WTO,” the minister said.

However, she said Canberra expects “a similar process (by Beijing) to be followed to remove the duties on Australian wine.”

“In the meantime, we are continuing to pursue our wine dispute at the WTO and remain confident in a positive outcome,” she added.

“The Australian government’s approach has been to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest. The outcome on barley reflects that approach,” said Wong, adding Canberra will continue to “press for all trade impediments affecting Australian exports to be removed, which is in the interests of both Australia and China.”