17 December,2020 10:07 AM IST | Sydney | Agencies
An employee works as Australian-made wine are seen for sale at a store in Beijing. Pic/AFP
Australia called on Wednesday for the World Trade Organisation to investigate Chinese tariffs on barley imports, turning to an "independent umpire" to adjudicate one of several bitter politically tinged disputes between them."
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham denounced Beijing's 80 percent surcharge on Australian barley shipments as "not underpinned by facts and evidence", and suggested further WTO action could be in the pipeline.
"We have continued to raise our concerns with China on numerous occasions," Birmingham said, lamenting that efforts to reach a negotiated settlement had failed. "We now believe that calling in the independent umpire is the most appropriate course of action to resolve this dispute," he added, admitting the process of arbitration and appeals could take years.
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Australia's barley exports to China had been worth around US$1 billion a year before a recent drought, used most notably used in brewing.
At least 13 Australian sectors have been subjected to Chinese tariffs or some form of disruption, including beef, coal, copper, cotton, lobsters, sugar, timber, tourism, universities, wine, wheat and wool.
China's foreign ministry on Wednesday declined to comment on specifics, but said "the Australian government should take its concerns seriously and take concrete action to correct discriminatory actions against Chinese firms".
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