In response to news that China has blocked Australian coal imports, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said he has not ruled out taking China to the WTO. Though, he emphasized, “we do have to make sure that we have the facts behind us when it comes to undertaking WTO challenges.”
“In terms of coal exports, it is important to recognise that although China is a significant market, it is not our largest market,” he added. “We do have significant markets in Japan … with India, strong growth recently in relation to Vietnam.” “We continue to work in a range of other markets where our government has secured trade agreements to develop trade ties to make sure that all of those exporters can have as many choices available to them as possible.”
Trade tensions between the two countries escalated in the past few months as China has recently increased tariffs on Australian wine and barley and blocked imports on lamb, beef, lobsters and other goods.
Just two weeks a ago, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international cross-party group of legislators working to reform the approach of democratic countries to China, called on a global campaign to drink Australian wines in December in support for the country.
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