Australia seeking WTO panel intervention to resolve trade disputes over barley with China

Australia has said that it is seeking World Trade Organization (WTO) intervention to resolve the dispute with China over anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed on Canberra by Beijing. As per news agency ANI, Australia Trade Minister Dan Tehan announced on May 28 that the government is taking the next step towards acquiring WTO claim against China for sanctions on barley. Australia-Chian bilateral relations have been deteriorating over a range of issues including trade disputes. 

Reportedly, China has till now decided to establish the dispute settlement panel and hence, Australia is turning to WTO to confirm its intent on making progress with the claim. Australian Trade Minister has also said that Canberra has been open for further discussions with Beijing considering the dispute over barley. However, Tehan added that Australia would “continue to vigorously defend the interests of Australian barley producers" at the WTO.

"The establishment of the panel is the next step in the WTO's dispute resolution process. The next phase of the process is the appointment of individuals to the panel to adjudicate the dispute," Tehan said.

"The anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian barley have effectively stopped Australia's barley trade with China,” he added.

China's sanctions on Australian products

China has imposed a range of tariffs and trade strikes on Australian products such as barley, wine, beef, lobster and timber. In December last year, Australia had first announced that it was launching WTO action against China over tariffs on barley. The bilateral ties between both nations deteriorated so much that the Chinese state-media warned of ballistic strikes if Canberra gets involved in a potential military conflict over Taiwan.

Just last week, China also suspended all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, a forum launched in 2014 and last convened in 2017. That decision had followed Australia scrapping the Belt and Road (BRI) agreement with China.

In November 2020, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged the deterioration of bilateral relations as “needless”.  During a major foreign policy address to a British think-tank on November 23, 2020, Morrison said that the ties with China are made “more complex by the assumptions” cast on Canberra’s actions which are "wrongly seen".

IMAGE: AP