The Tasmanian meat industry welcomed the reduction in tariffs for chilled beef exports to China as it promises to increase the sector’s profitability on a global scale.
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Signing of the joint statement between the Australian and Chinese governments supports the industry’s longevity, Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) chairman Lachie Hart said.
“The Australian red meat processing industry has been operating through some of the worst terms of trade for the sector in living memory,” Mr Hart said.
“[It is] a critical first step in ensuring the competitiveness of our industry internationally, but we still have more work to do. We are open and keen to continuing to work together with government to remove regulatory burdens, reduce regulatory compliance costs and energy costs, and enhance access through further reducing non-tariff barriers to trade with key markets,” he said.
Under this new agreement, the number of abattoirs registered to export red meat and offal to China will increase, enabling the sector to capitalise on demand for fresh high-quality Australian red meat and benefit from the ability to export these higher-margin products.
Tasmania’s meat industry exported more than $1.2 billion to Japan, China and Korea for the 2015-16 financial year.
Johanna Baker-Dowdell
Johanna has more than 22 years experience as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and online publications.
Johanna has more than 22 years experience as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and online publications.
