China said on Tuesday it had suspended barley imports from Australia’s largest grain exporter, a ruling that threatens to inflame bilateral tensions, reports Reuters.
China’s General Administration of Customs said barley shipments from CBH Grain would be halted after pests were found on multiple occasions, the administration said on its official WeChat account.
Representatives for CBH Grain did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While Beijing’s ruling on CBH Grain did not essentially affect trade after the imposition of more than an 80% tariff on Australian barley earlier this year, it cast a shadow over Australian exports to China.
