China-Australia relations: Beijing seeks WTO arbitration on Canberra’s anti-dumping tariffs

Beijing to formally challenge Canberra’s stance on railway wheels, wind towers and sinks in move that follows Australian complaint about Chinese wine tariffs

The two countries have been locking horns since Canberra called for a probe into Covid’s origins without consulting Beijing

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Australian wines at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. China’s tariffs on Australian wine have angered Canberra. Photo: AP

Published: 5:00am, 21 Jan 2022

Informal negotiations over Australia’s anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese goods have fallen through, with China on Thursday calling for a World Trade Organization panel to arbitrate the dispute.

Beijing has since June been urging Canberra to rethink three anti-dumping tariffs Australia imposed on Chinese exports of railway wheels, wind towers and stainless steel sinks between 2014 and 2019.

Its decision to contest the measures at the WTO comes after Canberra challenged Beijing’s tariffs of up to 218 per cent on Australian wines.

The moves appear to be the latest ratcheting up of tensions between the two countries, which have been locked in myriad trade and political disputes since Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.

In requesting arbitration, Beijing said the Australian tariffs had “violated the WTO’s trading rules and anti-dumping and anti-subsidy regulations”.

Bottles of Australian wine on sale in Beijing. Photo: Reuters

The request, which will be discussed at a dispute settlement meeting at the WTO next week, comes after private negotiations between the two countries last year failed to produce an outcome.