Australia has rejected Beijing’s suggestion to link wine to other trade issues as the two countries seek to improve their frayed relationship, the agriculture minister said on Sunday (September 24).
China's removal of tariffs on Australian barley last month has raised hopes of an easing of tariffs on wine, imposed from 2021, that have hampered the country's wine exports.
Australian wine in a store in Beijing, China. Photo: Reuters
Bilateral relations sank in 2020 when Australia called for an investigation into the origins of Covid-19, prompting Beijing to respond, including a series of trade restrictions that hurt Australia's export-dependent economy .
China on Thursday proposed a "package solution" that would link the wine dispute to disputes over tariffs on other Australian goods imported from China, Xinhua news agency reported.
But Australian Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said on Sunday: “We treat them as completely separate issues.”
He said the Australian Government wanted the wine dispute “to be resolved in the same way as the barley dispute was resolved – through dialogue”.
“We will continue to fight the WTO (World Trade Organization) case on wine and we will continue to fight the steel case,” said Minister Watt, referring to ongoing disputes at the global trade body.
China was Australia's top wine export market before the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking at A$1.2 billion ($770 million) in the 12 months to January 2020 when the pandemic hit.
Mai Van (according to Xinhua News Agency, Reuters, CNA)
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