China has lifted the suspension of red meat imports from six Australian meat-processing facilities.
The facilities affected by the ban were Australian Country Choice, Thomas Foods International, Kilcoy Pastoral Company, JBS Beef City, Primo JBS and Northern Co-operative Meat Company.
According to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steve Ciobo, these businesses account for around 30 percent of Australia’s beef exports to China, can now resume exporting.
“I also acknowledge the hard work of Barnaby Joyce and the Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundy, in representing the importance of this industry to Australia’s economy and the quality of the product made available for Chinese consumers,” Ciobo said in a statement .
“Australia has an excellent relationship with China, our largest trading partner. The goodwill generated by the success of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) assisted in resolving this matter quickly.”
He added that Australia respects the Chinese Government’s strong commitment to food safety for their consumers and understand the importance of meeting their import requirements.
Australia’s beef exports to China were worth $670 million in 2016.