- Australian beef producer Meramist is facing an unexplained export ban from the Chinese government, as trade tensions between the two nations continue to escalate
- China’s General Administration of Customs revealed on Monday that it has stopped receiving applications and registration for beef exports from the Meramist plant but did not provide any further explanation
- Meramist is the sixth beef producer to face the apparent sanctions, amid widespread trade restrictions on other Australian goods, including coal, wine and seafood
- Tensions between China and Australia have remained strained since Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19, earlier this year
Yet another Australian beef exporter is facing an unexplained ban from Chinese government, as trade tensions between the two nations continue to escalate.
The latest on the chopping block is Queensland-based Meramist, one of China’s main meat suppliers.
China’s General Administration of Customs revealed on Monday that it has stopped receiving applications and registration for beef exports from the Meramist plant but did not provide any further explanation.
Meramist is the sixth Australian beef producer to face the apparent sanctions. In recent weeks, China has claimed the apparent embargo on Australian beef is related to concerns about labelling and health certificates.
Last month, Beijing suggested that imported food had been contaminated with COVID-19, but this drew widespread criticism from global food authorities, as well as the World Health Organisation.
When questioned on the export halt, Meramist’s general manager Mike Eathornn said he had been given “absolutely no reasons” for the apparent ban.
Tensions between China and Australia have remained strained since Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19, earlier this year.
In what is widely considered to be retaliatory trade actions, China has since halted or restricted the import of a number of Australian products, including coal, wine and seafood.
Then, earlier this month, the trade dispute entered the political sphere, after a Chinese spokesperson posted a graphic, doctored photo on Twitter, depicting an Australian solider holding a knife to a child’s throat.
Beijing has yet to provide a full explanation for the tweet, as well as for the bevy of trade embargoes and tariffs currently levied against Australian goods.