Australia threatens China with "World Trade Organization"

 

In the latest trade dispute after supplies of goods from coal to wine have been disrupted, Australia is preparing to take action against China in the World Trade Organization over tariffs on imports of barley, according to the US Wall Street Journal.

 

Last May, China imposed tariffs of 80.5 percent on Australian barley, which is used in brewing alcoholic beer, for "selling it at unfairly low prices," which Australia considered a "wrong conclusion", appealing to the authorities in Beijing to cancel this type From the tax.

 

In turn, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said on Sunday that "the next step is to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization, after completing talks with grain factories and other sectors."

 

A large number of Australian politicians and economists believe that China imposed customs duties, to retaliate against Australia, which supported a European proposal to conduct an independent investigation into the source of the new Corona virus in China.

 

Days before imposing tariffs on barley, China suspended beef imports from four Australian exporters, citing health violations and the quarantine imposed by the Corona virus. Trade frictions also expanded until tariffs were imposed on imports of Australian wine.

 

The value of Australian barley exports to China amounted to about one billion dollars annually, before Beijing decided to impose customs duties.