Doorstop in Hobart, Tas

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
HOBART
FRIDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2024

SUBJECTS: Live rock lobster exports to China set to restart.

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: It's terrific news today, China has confirmed that our rock lobster, live rock lobster exports can recommence into China. This is great news for our live rock lobster producers and fishers here in Australia, and importantly it means that they can now apply for import permits to go back into this market.

Since we came to office, we have now removed over $20 billion of trade impediments with China. I want to thank Australia's live rock lobster fishers for their patience as we work through this, and I also want to thank the Chinese government and officials who have patiently worked their way through this with us. This has been careful, collaborated, considered process that we have gone through to get this trade restored, and this is great news at this great time of year to get our live rock lobster back into China. 

JOURNALIST: Does this close the chapter of the trade war between Australia and China?

COLLINS: What this means, of course, is that we have been working carefully over the last two and a half years to restore our trade with China. When we came to office there was $20 billion in trade impediments. This is the last of those trade impediments, the live rock lobster going back into China. We've got the red meat in, we've got the wine in. We had two of the red meats just a few weeks ago. So this now means that we have removed $20 billion worth of trade impediments with China. That means $20 billion worth of Australian produce is now going back into China, so that Australian producers and Australians can benefit from that produce going into China.

JOURNALIST: What was the hold up with these specific tariffs?

COLLINS: Well, of course, we have to work through this very carefully. We need to work with officials. We need to make sure that our live rock lobster meets the criteria of the Chinese government. And we've been able to do that, and it's been a careful, considered process. And as I said, I want to thank the Chinese officials for their patience in going through this. But importantly, I also want to thank our fishers here in Australia, our live rock lobster fishers, who've been incredibly patient. There is a meeting with them this afternoon, so that they can be given this great news today.

JOURNALIST: Why are they being suddenly lifted now?

COLLINS: Well, of course, the Prime Minister had a meeting with Premier Li earlier in the year, and it was agreed that we would resume trade before the Chinese Lunar New Year. And what it means, actually, is it can happen from the end of this year in time for the Chinese New Year. So this is great news for our live rock lobster fishers.

JOURNALIST: I mean, yeah, how significant is it? Like how much, I guess, pain have they been in the last few years?

COLLINS: Well, this has been a tough few years for those people who had been exporting to China. But importantly, what we've done as a government now is we've diversified our trade as well. We're now trading with 169 different markets. Australia's agricultural trade today is more diversified than it has ever been.

JOURNALIST: Are you expecting demand will be the same?

COLLINS: Oh, look, this will depend on the fishers, and they'll need to apply for the import permits with the Chinese government. But the Chinese government has notified us today that live rock lobster can recommence going into China, and this is great news.

JOURNALIST: Is there a firm date when lobsters are actually able to be in? I know you said they can apply for permits, but they can be in, is it by the Lunar New Year?

COLLINS: That will happen. This is up to our producers to actually apply for the permits now. We are meeting with them today to talk with them, to go through the process, to make sure that they start applying for those permits so that this trade can recommence. And that is what the Chinese government have notified us today, that the trade can recommence. Thank you.