CHINA has re-registered CBH Grain and Emerald Grain Australia as barley exporters, enabling both companies to immediately re-commence trade with China.
The Australian government announced the reinstatement on Wednesday (9 August) following China’s move to lift tariffs on Australian barley.
Federal trade minister Don Farrell and federal agriculture minister Murray Watt said CBH Grain and Emerald Grain would join 126 other Australian exporters registered to supply barley to China.
“We thank the grain industry and government officials who have worked hard toward this outcome,” the ministers said in a statement.
“This is another positive step towards the stabilisation of our relationship with China.”
CBH Group welcomed the “positive news” that China had lifted its suspension on CBH Grain for barley imports.
“CBH Grain is excited to work with our long-standing Chinese customers and resume trade of Western Australian barley to China,” it wrote in a social media post.
“Thank you to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their continued support to have the suspension lifted.”
Mr Farrell and Mr Watt said China was Australia’s most valuable export market for barley before the tariffs were imposed, worth around $916 million in 2018-2019.
“We will continue to press for remaining trade impediments affecting Australian exports to be removed, which is in the interests of both Australia and China.”
