China to drop ban on Aussie lobsters following Anthony Albanese meeting

A major trade hurdle between China and Australia has been overcome following a meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with China’s Premier Li Qiang on Thursday at the ASEAN summit of south East Asian leaders, in Vientiane, Laos. Image: Supplied

China’s ban on Australian lobsters will be dropped by the end of the year, the last major sanction on Aussie produce to be dumped in the wake of the trade war ignited during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emerged from meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Laos on Thursday to announce the ban on the $700 million industry would be ended in the coming months.

The ban on lobsters was the last major trade hurdle remaining with China, following the dropping of restrictions on other Aussie produce like barley and wine, with Mr Albanese saying the trade impediments added up to $20 billion in value.

“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,” Mr Albanese said following their meetings, adding the ban would be dropped in time for Chinese New Year.

China’s ban on Australian lobsters will be dropped by the end of the year.

China banned lobsters as part of a trade war arising with Australia during the Covid pandemic in 2020 after then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an inquiry into the virus’ origins.

Mr Albanese said he also raised “the full range of regional and international security issues, including our concerns about any destabilising actions in the South China Sea, and about China’s recent missile ballistic test.”

His comments came in the wake of the Philippines accusing China’s coast guard of spraying water cannons at government vessels earlier this week in the disputed South China Sea, while China also launched a missile from a base in the Pacific in September.

“So much international trade goes through the South China Sea, and we need to have military to military engagement and co-operation and dialogue to avoid any misadventure,” he said.

The Prime Minister, in Laos’ capital of Vientiane for the ASEAN summit of south-east Asian leaders, also met on Thursday with his New Zealand and French counterparts, Chris Luxon and Justin Trudeau, with the conflict surrounding Israel, Palestine and Gaza discussed.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in Vientiane, Laos, for the ASEAN summit. Picture: Prime Minister’s Office

Mr Trudeau said the three were “working together very closely on the situation in the Middle East” and were “like minded” in “pushing for de-escalation of the violence, protection of civilians, and humanitarian aid flowing in”.

He added the three were “committed to a path to a two state solution, which requires a lot of work that we’re continuing to do”.

Mr Albanese also refused to budge on a timeline for introducing new fuel emission caps, which the Thai government earlier this year requested he pause or phase-in.

Thailand supplies more than 200,000 vehicles a year to Australia, with concerns the caps coming into place next year will drive the cost of vehicles up if importers are hit with penalties by Australia.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with new Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday, but ruled out changing the timeline for implementing the scheme.

“We have a very clear position on fuel standards,” he said.

Earlier, the Chinese Premier described Mr Albanese as an “old friend”, at least the second time he has used the term, in the fifth meeting of the two leaders. The comments came ahead of the pair heading behind closed doors for a meeting.

“It is gratifying to know that over the past few weeks and months, China-Australia relations continue to move forward in a positive direction,” he said.

He said work was underway to improve relations between the two countries to “embrace a brighter future … to foster a more mature, stable and productive, comprehensive, strategic partnership to deliver greater benefits to other people’s and make a greater contribution to peace and stability and development of the region.”