Australian lobster exports to China will resume as Beijing lifts ban

MELBOURNE, Australia: China will resume importing Australian live lobsters by the end of this year, marking the end of a four-year trade ban that severely impacted Australian exporters.

The announcement came from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a Southeast Asian summit in Vientiane, Laos.

The lobster import ban, which had cost Australian exporters AU$700 million (US$470 million) annually, was the final major trade barrier between the two countries. The ban was one of several trade restrictions China imposed in 2020, halting imports of key Australian commodities such as coal, wine, and barley, as diplomatic relations between the two nations deteriorated.

Albanese expressed optimism about the progress in restoring trade relations without compromising Australia's national interests, noting that the lobster trade will be fully operational in time for Chinese New Year celebrations.

"I'm pleased to announce that Premier Li and I have agreed on a timetable to resume full lobster trade by the end of this year," Albanese said. He emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue between the two nations while protecting Australia's security concerns.

The trade freeze began in 2020 under former conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who angered Beijing by calling for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Since Albanese's Labor Party government took office in 2022, there has been a steady improvement in relations, with several trade barriers being lifted.

The resumption of lobster exports is seen as a relief for the industry, which had struggled to find alternative markets during the ban. Tom Ryan, a manager at Five Star Seafoods in South Australia, expressed his relief, saying, "It's been a long time coming," after years of lower profits from alternative markets.