China to cancel anti-dumping duty on Australian barley

Chinese authorities have decided to cancel anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of Australian barley starting from August 5, 2023, the Ministry of Commerce of China said on Friday.

“Given the changing situation in the Chinese barley market, it is no longer necessary to continue to levy anti-dumping and countervailing duties on barley imported from Australia… Starting August 5, 2023, anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imported Australian barley will be canceled,” the statement said.

Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce of China proposed to the Tariffication and Classification Committee under the State Council of China to cancel the corresponding duty, and the proposal was approved.

In 2020, China imposed high tariffs on Australia’s key exports, such as barley, beef, and wine. It also stopped imports of some of Australia’s most important exports, including coal, which reduced trade by billions of dollars. In response, Australia complained to the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that China had violated international obligations by artificially and “unreasonably” inflating tariffs.

In February 2023, the trade ministers of Australia and China held their first bilateral meeting since 2019, showing signs of improving relations. Recently, China lifted trade restrictions on Australian coal, and in April, Australia suspended the process of filing a complaint against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO), seeking to reopen the Chinese market for Australian barley in three years.

Despite the possible warming of trade relations between Australia and China, there are still acute issues in the defense sector where the interests of the two countries clash. Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called hypocritical the statements of the AUKUS countries (Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom) that they would adhere to nuclear non-proliferation standards against the backdrop of Australia’s plans to purchase nuclear submarines. Beijing said that the three countries are further following a false and dangerous path, pursuing their own geopolitical interests and completely ignoring the concerns of the international community.

Tags: Australia, China, barley, restrictions