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China-Australia relations
EconomyEconomic Indicators

China-Australia wine trade barriers seen falling as foreign minister Wang Yi confirms trip down under

  • High-profile trip, coming amid warming ties with Canberra, will kick off on Sunday and include a visit to New Zealand
  • Australian wine companies are getting production lines ready for a resumption of exports to China that is expected to be imminent

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Australia and New Zealand next week. Photo: Reuters
Frank Chenin Shanghai

China’s foreign minister will co-host a strategic talk during his visit to Australia next week amid improving relations, with the likely removal of tariffs on Australian wine looming large after nearly three-and-a-half years.

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It is part of Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia from March 17-21, Beijing announced on Thursday, confirming an earlier report by the Post.
Beijing is widely expected to reduce some trade barriers that were imposed in the past few years as relations deteriorated following Canberra’s call for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus. Bilateral ties have been improving since Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China in November.

Australia’s largest wine producer, Treasury Wine Estates, has been informed that the Chinese Ministry of Commerce had issued a draft interim decision outlining the cancellation of additional tariffs on Australian wine, according to a filing with the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday.

The wine producer said the content of the provisional draft decision may change, but it “expects China to issue a final decision in the coming weeks”.

The commerce ministry said on Thursday that China would make a final ruling regarding its tariffs on Australian wine in accordance with investigation procedures and laws.

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Late last month, commerce minister Wang Wentao discussed bilateral trade concerns with Australian trade minister Don Farrell during a World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi.

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