Australia ‘hopeful’ barley exports to China will resume soon as talks go ‘in right direction’ amid warming ties

Australia’s trade minister said on Thursday that Beijing had indicated its review of anti-dumping duties would soon be complete

The duties, which were imposed in 2020 amid a deterioration in relations, had rendered Australian barley exports uncompetitive in the Chinese market

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Anti-dumping duties imposed on barley in 2020 after bilateral relations deteriorated had rendered the export uncompetitive in the Chinese market. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 6:00pm, 1 Jun 2023

China’s expedited review of its anti-dumping duties on Australian barley exports is close to completion and the outcome appears to be positive, Australia’s trade minister said on Thursday.

Indications from Beijing were that the review “was going in the right direction”, Trade Minister Don Farrell said in his address to the National Press Club in Canberra, adding that Australian exporters would soon be able to competitively sell barley to the Chinese market again.

Anti-dumping duties imposed on Australian barley in 2020 – after bilateral relations deteriorated in the wake of Canberra calling for an international review into the origins of coronavirus – had rendered barley exports uncompetitive in the Chinese market.

“I’d be hopeful that when that decision is finally made, that it’ll be a positive decision and we can get Australian barley back into China and I met with the Western Australian barley group yesterday just to talk about how that might happen,” Farrell said on Thursday.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell (left) with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao (right) in Beijing last month. Photo: Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade/Handout via Reuters

Farrell said he also told his counterpart Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, when they met in Detroit for the Apec trade ministerial meeting last weekend, that he would like the “template established” with barley to be applied to anti-dumping duties on Australian wine.

“Again, it was another positive, warm and friendly meeting. So, things are progressing,” he said.