QLD’s Australian Country Choice and John Dee are set to resume their trade with China

After a Covid-inspired stoush, two major beef exporters have finally regained their market access into China.

The last two Australian beef export plants locked out of China have regained their ability to trade.

ACC chief executive Anthony Lee confirmed today two Queensland processing facilities – Australian Country Choice and John Dee – had regained their ability to trade.

“We welcome the decision by the Chinese authorities to return our export licence, we thank the Australian Government for its support in achieving this outcome and we anticipate the resumption of mutually beneficial trade links,” Mr Lee said.

The peak producers’s group, Cattle Australia, has welcomed China’s reinstatement of export approvals for the remaining two Australian beef export processing plants.

CA chief executive officer Dr Chris Parker said the change was a win not only for the respective processing plants, but also the producers and lot feeders supplying the export works.

It comes following the lifting of the ban, back in May, for five other major Australian beef exporters, which had been in place since 2020.

The five plants that had their export approvals reinstated in May were Queensland’s Kilcoy Global Foods, Meramist, JBS Dinmore, JBS Beef City and NSW’s Casino Food.

The remaining excluded plants were the two QLD operations, John Dee, Warwick, and Australian Country Choice, Brisbane.

It was understood at the time there was an ongoing allegation of issues relating to residues.

The bans were first introduced in 2020, at the height of an international stoush over the origins of the coronavirus crisis.

Tensions between Australia and China grew as Australia pushed for a global investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Then, Australian red meat exports to China were worth more than $1.66 billion.

Today’s news is expected to see the last two plants resume their trade with China, which has been taking large volumes of Australian beef this year.

China is already Australia’s fourth biggest export beef customer, behind the United States, Japan and South Korea for the year.

The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry and Australian Meat Industry Council have been contacted for comment.

Australian Country Choice chief executive Anthony Lee. Photo: Australian Country Choice