China’s foreign ministry on Monday said Customs put import restrictions on Australian timber and some seafood due to safety concerns amid continued trade tensions between the two nations.
During a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin attributed the recent barring of Australian timber to pest control.
“We hope Australia will take effective measures to strengthen export quarantine and ensure that exported timber meet China’s quarantine requirements” Wang said.
Meanwhile, Australian shipments of lobsters were delayed since late last week and over the weekend, according to Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Birmingham said shipments of seafood were being delayed “as additional testing is undertaken for metal content levels within that seafood.”
“We hope that Australia will do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides and in line with the spirit of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership” Wang said, “so as to bring China-Australia relations back to the right track sooner.”
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