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China’s US barley, blueberry move focused on trade war deal, unrelated to coronavirus backlash against Australia
- China will allow imports of barley and blueberries from the US from Thursday, making it easier to meet its commitments in the phase one trade deal
- China’s largest state-owned food processor, manufacturer and trader COFCO also hinted it would speed up the buying of American farm goods, including soybeans
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China’s moves to permit further agricultural imports from the United States are viewed as being a step towards meeting the nation’s phase one trade deal commitments, although their role in the ongoing saga with Australian barley and beef exports remains unclear, analysts said.
China on Thursday said it would immediately allow imports of barley and fresh blueberries from the US, according to notices posted on China’s customs website, just days after it announced plans to impose a tariff on the grain while also blocking beef exports from Australia.
“The US barley imports is mainly due to the trade deal,” said Rosa Wang, a Shanghai-based analyst at agricultural data provider JCI China.
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“To meet the targets, it is necessary for US farm products to enter China. It indicates that China is making an effort … but the Australian side is a separate matter.”
Even under normal circumstances, without Covid-19, it would have been difficult for China to meet its phase one trade deal commitments in farm goods purchases
Trade data shows China is far from meeting its targets for importing American products as part of the agreement signed in January, with the coronavirus pandemic having severely disrupted supply chains on both sides.
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