China has finally removed crushing tariffs on Australian wine. But re-establishing ourselves in the market won’t be easy
China’s Ministry of Commerce has finally ended its tariffs on Australian wine, which had been imposed for more than three years at rates as high as 218.4%.
- China’s Ministry of Commerce has finally ended its tariffs on Australian wine, which had been imposed for more than three years at rates as high as 218.4%.
- In 2019, Australia sold A$1.24 billion worth of wine to China, surpassing France to capture a market share close to 40%.
- Last year, US imports of Australian wine actually fell by about 20%, the UK held flat, and sales to India remain trivial.
Since we’ve been gone
- The departure of Australian wine from the Chinese market created a gap that was quickly filled by other suppliers.
- But the size of China’s imported wine market has also more than halved over this period, falling from A$3.3 billion in 2019 to A$1.5 billion last year.
- On re-entry, Australian wine producers are set to face stiff competition in a significantly smaller market.
- Major Australian producers like Treasury Wine Estates have maintained sizeable staff headcounts in China, expecting the Chinese market to return to prominence in their business.
Lessons for Australia – could it happen again?
- Conversely, Australia used the WTO to challenge Chinese tariffs on barley and wine.
- To maintain the WTO’s effectiveness, Australia and China have a shared interest in restoring its appellate mechanism, the Appellate Body.
- It also offers broader lessons for Australia and is another data point confirming a positive trajectory in the overall bilateral relationship.
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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.