The ongoing feud between China and Australia reached a new pitch this week with Chinese ports reportedly blocking a growing list of Australian imports worth some $4 billion.
Last weekend, China’s customs agency banned imports of timber from Queensland, claiming it had found a beetle infestation in one shipment. On Sunday, Australia’s Seafood Trade Advisory Group said lobster exports had been held up at Chinese ports, too, as customs officers increased scrutiny of the crustaceans. Last year, lobster imports from Australia were worth around $530 million.
