SYDNEY, Mar 22: China has agreed to allow imports of Australian canola under specific conditions, an Australian industry group said on Friday, overturning a three-year ban.
Australia – the world’s sixth largest canola, or rapeseed, producer – has been pushing hard for China to resume imports that had been banned in 2009 over concerns a fungal disease infecting some of the Australian crop would damage China’s domestic production.
‘China has approved the resumption of trade of canola effective immediately,’ Nick Goddard, executive director of the Australian Oilseeds Federation told Reuters.
‘The Australian delegation from the Department of Agriculture informed me that exports are now permissible, but there are some nuances around it.’
Exports can only be shipped from a restricted number of Australian ports, Goddard said, while delivery can only occur at specific locations in China, away from major canola growing regions.
An Australian government official told Reuters in January that it was hopeful an agreement to overturn the ban would be completed in the first quarter of 2013.
The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry did not respond to questions from Reuters.
(agencies)
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