Australia is opting to pursue remedies at the WTO over China's imposition of tariffs on barley from Australia.
Simon Birmingham, Australia's trade minister, said that following Australia taking China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over barley tariffs, Australia reserved the right to appeal several other Chinese trade sanctions levied against Australian coal, beef, timber and lobsters in recent months to the WTO.
Beijing imposed tariffs of 80% on Australian barley after bilateral relations deteriorated, but China contends Australian barley imports were sold below cost in China and due to subsidies to Australian growers.
Australia has acknowledged that the WTO process could take years to resolve and noted that China had refused to engage with it over the expanding range of trade disputes. Beijing has already imposed sanctions on barley, beef and wine imports following Canberra's call for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that first surfaced Wuhan.
Interestingly, China has sought barley from other global suppliers but has not yet turned to the U.S. even though the two sides reached agreement on barley trade as part of the Phase One trade deal between the two countries.