Treasurer Jim Chalmers has given a firm signal that China's ban on Australian rock lobster could soon be lifted,He was speaking in Beijing after he became the first Australian treasurer to visit China for seven years.Since the Albanese government was elected in 2022 and started to repair Canberra-Beijing relations, China has scrapped punitive tariffs and restrictions on Australian goods, such as wine, beef and barley, but lobster fishers remain locked out of what was once a prized export market.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers speaking to the media after he held talks with his Chinese counterparts in Beijing. (Nine)Officials on both sides have been working behind the scenes to end the deadlock.Chalmers said on Thursday (Friday AEST) he hopes Australian lobster will soon be "gracing the tables of Chinese homes and restaurants as soon as possible"."I did raise it last night and yesterday afternoon. We're seeking a speedy resolution of the restrictions on lobster, we've made really quite encouraging progress engaging with Chinese counterparts," he said."This is a very tangible way that we have seen progress made as a consequence of our effort to stabilise the relationship."The Treasurer said officials were fine tuning "technical issues", but the federal government wanted to see a speedy resolution of the issue.
Australian rock lobster remains locked out of the Chinese market. (Getty)The China rock lobster export market was worth about $550 million per year for Australian fishers when restrictions were imposed in 2020.Chalmers is visiting Beijing for the first Australia-China Strategic Economic Dialogue since 2017.