Australia will resume exporting live lobsters to China by year-end, eliminating a significant barrier to trade that previously cost exporters over 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) annually.
This decision follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Premier Li Qiang during a Southeast Asian summit in Vientiane, Laos. The lobster ban was the final hurdle among several trade restrictions that Beijing has agreed to lift since Albanese’s Labor Party came to power in 2022.
Albanese stated, “I’m pleased to announce that Premier Li and I have agreed on a timetable to resume full lobster trade by the end of this year.
“This of course will be in time for Chinese New Year and this will be welcomed by the people engaged in the live lobster industry.”
Albanese emphasized the importance of direct dialogue among friends, noting that it doesn’t equate to agreement or compliance. He affirmed his commitment to representing Australia’s national interests, describing today’s meeting as constructive.
In 2019, the value of Australian lobster exports to China was AU$700 million ($470 million).
In 2020, Beijing suspended trade with Australia over various commodities, including lobster, coal, wine, barley, beef, and wood, amid deteriorating diplomatic ties. The tensions escalated after Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origins and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom Ryan, a manager at Five Star Seafoods in Port MacDonnell, South Australia, expressed disappointment that his industry would be the last to see trade with China resume.
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