China’s lifting of a ban on Australian fruit, including mangoes and citrus, has offered a “huge” opportunity for local producers.
After two years of trade restrictions, Chinese officials gave the green light this week for the resumption of Australian exports.
It means citrus, stone fruit, mango and cherry producers can now ship their products into the lucrative market.
Australian Mango Industry Association chief executive Brett Kelly told radio 3AW the Chinese market was potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
“China has always been a major opportunity and in particular with the middle class which is growing substantially.
“The potential is huge for Australian growers.”
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The good news for the fruit industry is the latest development in warming trade relations between Beijing and Canberra.
Fruit was on a list of exports subjected to official and unofficial Chinese trade barriers imposed in 2020 after Australia called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The list that included coal, wine, timber, barley, beef, seafood, cotton and copper was estimated to cost Australian exporters about $20 billion a year.
But last month, the Asian superpower reopened its door to Australian timber products after exporters had satisfied Chinese officials’ quarantine concerns.
Trade Minister Don Farrell raised the trade sanctions when he met his Chinese counterpart in Beijing last month.
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