Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sheldon for his question, because I know he knows just how important trade is for the continued growth and prosperity of this country. Of course, the Albanese Labor government is working hard to stabilise our relationship with China, and yesterday we took another important step in the stabilisation process when I accompanied the Prime Minister on an official visit to China. China is by far our largest trading partner, worth last year around $300 billion in two-way trade. That underlines how important this relationship is to Australia.

We can already see the benefits of stabilisation. We now have our timber, our barley and our hay going back into China. This means more jobs in these industries, including in Senator Sheldon's home state of New South Wales. Last month, the Prime Minister announced we have reached an agreement with China to fast-track the review of the crippling tariffs affecting Australian wine exports. Under our watch, around 95 per cent of trade impediments, by dollar value, have been lifted. During my visit to Shanghai, I continued to advocate for the removal of outstanding trade impediments on Australian lobster and meat exporters. I also attended the world's largest trade show, in Shanghai, to showcase Australia's world-class offering in trade and tourism.

Our government believes in free and fair trade. We are helping our exporters get their products back into China, because more trade means more and better-paying jobs for everyday Australian workers.