Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I can advise that South Australia's exports to China in 2019-20 were worth approximately $3 billion. That had been a 12½ per cent increase on the previous year. Although we are seeing disruption occur in a number of individual cases at present and in certain sectors, like barley, at a more universal level, it is worth keeping in mind the fact that for the financial year not that long ago concluded we did still see record volumes of trade facilitated across a number of different product categories.

That doesn't downplay the fact that we take very seriously where we are seeing interventions that we think disrupt the free flow of trade and hurt the flow of trade for Australian businesses. That is why we are raising those concerns continuously with Chinese authorities, seeking through diplomatic or administrative channels responses that can provide greater certainty to Australian exporters. (Time expired)