China-Australia relations: import ban on Australian copper, sugar expected after blocks on lobster, timber, barley
- China banned imported timber from Queensland and barley shipments from another Australian grain exporter on Friday, with copper and sugar to follow this week
- Australian rock lobster shipments were also delayed in Shanghai at the weekend in the latest trade escalation between Beijing and Canberra
The new bans occurred over the weekend as clearance of Australian rock lobster shipments was also delayed in Shanghai due to increased import inspections.
On Friday, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) issued a warning notice to exporters saying that it had found a pest, the bark beetle Ips grandicollis, in imported log timber from Queensland and has banned all log exports from the Australian state.
A China foreign ministry spokesman confirmed on Monday that Chinese authorities have repeatedly found “biohazards” in imports of Australian timber.
China’s customs agency also said it had found contamination in barley shipments from Australian grain exporter Emerald Grain and had ceased imports from the company from Friday. The contamination was from bromus rigidus, a grasslike weed.
Major exporter Emerald Grain collects grain from around 12,000 grower families in New South Wales and Victoria and exports grain out of 17 grain terminals.