MLA not worried about China beef suspension
Official figures show that more than 25% of Australian beef exports in April went to China. In total, Australian packers shipped 23,788 tonnes of beef to China in the course of April, an increase of 15% year on year.
However, during May, trade tensions between Australia and China have built up following following a call from Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, for an independent international inquiry into the origin of the covid-19 pandemic, and beef has suffered.
In mid-May, China suspended imports of beef from four plants in Australia, officially because of alleged inconsistencies with labelling and consignment certificates.
Promotions body Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has described this suspension as “a temporary pause”. MLA said that, while China became the most important export market for Australian beef in 2019, its meat companies export to more than 100 countries. It said: “This large spread and diversification of export markets continues to be a strength.”
