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China-Australia wine trade to resume as Beijing nixes tariffs after 3 years
- Move had been widely expected, and formal announcement from Chinese commerce authorities shows how much ties with Canberra have improved in the past year
- Removal of Chinese duties means Australia will stop its legal proceedings at the World Trade Organization
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China is lifting anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on Australian wine on Friday, according to Chinese commerce authorities, and the move puts an end to three years of punitive levies while offering long-awaited relief to Australian wine producers.
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The tariffs, of up to 218.4 per cent, were formally imposed in March 2021 and were among a host of trade barriers targeting Australian commodities as ties soured following Canberra’s call in April 2020 for a probe into the origin of Covid-19.
But ties have improved significantly since last year, leading China to steadily lift trade hurdles facing Australian goods, including barley and coal.
“Given that the situation in China’s wine market has changed, the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs imposed on wine imported from Australia are no longer necessary,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Thursday.
The SCMP reported two weeks ago that the wine tariff removal appeared imminent.
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