Govt to work 'methodically' through China meat ban

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack says the government will work “methodically” to ensure the China meat ban is worked through.

The Morrison Government was blindsided on Tuesday after China suspended exports from four Australian abattoirs including three in Queensland and one in New South Wales.

The suspension comes just days after China threatened to impose 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley.

Mr McCormack told Sky News the government would carefully work out the issue which China claims was due to mislabelling and not linked to Australia’s push for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

“We will work through, with the departments, work through the Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, we will do it methodically, we will do it carefully, and we want to make sure that we can get through this in the right and appropriate way and we will,” he said.

“I think the whole world, China included, wants to see how and why this happened and indeed how and why it spread. And I think those answers are necessary.

“But for Australia of course, $149.7 billion of trade with China, I know trade equals jobs and more trade means more jobs.

“So we want to make sure certainly for our farmers, who have been hard hit by drought, coming out the drought, that there is a better future ahead for them unlike the last three years or in some cases seven years.

“Of course trade with China is important, trade with anywhere is important, so we will be doing our utmost to make sure we go through the proper process to get through this.”

Видео Govt to work 'methodically' through China meat ban канала Sky News Australia