China will increase duties on the export of Australian wines from November 28. They will be from 107 to 212 percent, writes CNN . Beijing decided to take revenge on a trading partner for the fact that Australia in 2018 did not allow Huawei to install 5G networks.
The measure is called a temporary “anti-dumping guarantee”. Relations between the two countries have escalated after Australian authorities demanded an international investigation into the occurrence of COVID-19. In August, the PRC authorities launched an investigation into the wine.
Australian Commerce Minister Simon Birmingham called the duties a devastating blow, as well as “unfair, unreasonable and unjustified” measure. Australia is the largest wine supplier to China, accounting for 39 percent of all imports of this alcoholic beverage from the country. Australia intends to challenge the new tariffs.
In early November, Katay decided to stop purchasing from Australia at least seven commodity categories: coal, copper, lumber, barley, sugar, wine and lobster. Beijing has previously suspended shipments of Australian beef and barley, raised duties on barley to 80 percent, delayed shipments of lobsters and discouraged timber imports.