Australia suspends lobster exports to China amid clearance delay risks

 

After China Customs stepped up inspections of live seafood, Australia has stopped exporting lobster to China.

 

The Australian seafood trade advisory body said that due to increased import inspections by China Customs, bringing about, most Australian exporters have stopped shipping lobster to China.
 

 

Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud pointed out that Australia is seriously concerned about the additional inspections started by the Chinese side on Friday, and is trying to get the Chinese side to provide an explanation. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham also said that all importers should comply with the same standards, that there should be no discriminatory screening practices, and that the Chinese authorities should rule out the use of any such discriminatory actions.

 

China is Australia's largest market for lobster. Data shows that in the 2018 to 2019 year, Australia's lobster export value totalled AUD 752 million (about HKD 4.09 billion), of which about 94% was sold to China.

 

China-Australia relations have fallen to a freezing point in recent years, and the market worries that the live seafood trade will become the Beijing government's latest retaliation target.