Australia hopeful of China removing trade impediments on lobster by Christmas

Reuters
·1 min read
Australia's Trade Minister Don Farrell visits Beijing

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia Trade Minister Don Farrell said on Thursday he was hopeful of China removing trade impediments on imports of Australian rock lobster by Christmas.

China has lifted almost all trade restrictions imposed on Australia after Canberra called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, due to a thawing in relations between the two countries, but barriers on lobster imports remain.

"I'm confident that based on all the discussions I've had ... I've still got confidence this will happen," Farrell said in an interview with Sky News, adding he expected restrictions to be lifted by Christmas.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

Latest Stories

  • Netanyahu Agrees to Limit Strike on Iran, Washington Post Reports

    (Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to limit his country’s retaliation against Iran over the missile attack on Oct. 1 to military targets, according to a report in the Washington Post. Most Read from BloombergHow Mexico City Averted All-Out DroughtDubai’s Allure to Expats Is Weighing on City’s InfrastructureInside the ‘Utopias’ of Mexico CityThe Master Plan That Shaped Pakistan’s Capital Is No Longer WorkingWhat It Takes to Make City Solutions Go ViralNetanyahu ha

  • In clash with Netanyahu, Macron says Israel PM 'mustn't forget his country created by UN decision'

    Referring to the resolution adopted in November 1947 by the United Nations General Assembly on the plan to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, Macron warned Israel’s prime minister not to forget that “his country was created by a UN decision”, a few days after the Israeli ambassador to France was summoned, and Israel repeatedly fired on UN peacekeepers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not forget his country was created as a result of a resolution adopted b

  • Putin's Minister Has A Rather Ominous Update On Russia's Relations With China

    It's all about Russia and China's "common understanding of what needs to be done," according to a top Moscow official.

  • Opinion - The United Nations is on the verge of irrelevance

    There are two unpalatable truths about the U.N.

  • US, UK Push Ahead With Modi Despite Bombshell Trudeau Claims

    (Bloomberg) -- Canada’s closest allies signaled they will continue to pursue stronger ties with Narendra Modi’s government, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that Indian diplomats secretly collected intelligence on Sikh separatists living in Canada who were then threatened, extorted or killed. Most Read from BloombergHow Mexico City Averted All-Out DroughtInside the ‘Utopias’ of Mexico CityDubai’s Allure to Expats Is Weighing on City’s InfrastructureThe Master Plan That Shaped

  • Kremlin backtracks from comments on Saudi BRICS membership

    MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin rowed back on Tuesday from earlier comments describing Saudi Arabia as a member of the BRICS group of countries, and left open the question of whether the kingdom would be represented at a BRICS summit in Russia next week. Saudi Arabia has been invited to join BRICS but has not yet formally done so. Last week, however, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described it as a BRICS member and said its foreign minister would attend the summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

  • Violence-hit Pakistan locks down its capital for an Asian security meeting

    ISLAMABAD (AP) — Shaken by multiple militant attacks, Pakistani authorities have locked down the capital in a major security move as senior officials from several nations arrive for an Asian security group meeting.

  • Ukraine faces worsening odds on the battlefield and a struggle on the diplomatic front after Biden postpones summit

    Kyiv’s western allies are sending mixed messages about their commitment to a Ukrainian victory.

  • Experts: Cuba’s alliance with Russia not enough to give it entry to emerging-economies club

    Cuba’s bankrupt economy stands in the way of joining BRICS bloc.

  • US concerned by reports of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States is "concerned" by reports of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week accused North Korea of transferring personnel to Russia's armed forces, saying his intelligence agencies had briefed him on "the actual involvement of North Korea in the war" in Ukraine.

  • Netanyahu opposes ceasefire deal that would not halt Hezbollah from rearming

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he told French President Emmanuel Macron that he would not agree to a ceasefire deal that failed to stop Hezbollah rearming and regrouping. Macron has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah as well as an end to arms exports used in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. "The Prime Minister told President Macron that he opposes a unilateral ceasefire, which would not change the security situation in Lebanon and would return the country to its previous state," a statement from his office said.

  • US Weighs Capping Exports of AI Chips From Nvidia and AMD to Some Countries

    (Bloomberg) -- Biden administration officials have discussed capping sales of advanced AI chips from Nvidia Corp. and other American companies on a country-specific basis, people familiar with the matter said.Most Read from BloombergHow Mexico City Averted All-Out DroughtInside the ‘Utopias’ of Mexico CityDubai’s Allure to Expats Is Weighing on City’s InfrastructureThe Master Plan That Shaped Pakistan’s Capital Is No Longer WorkingWhat It Takes to Make City Solutions Go ViralSubscribe to the Blo

  • Russia could attack NATO by end of decade, German intelligence chief warns

    A group of German intelligence officials warned the Bundestag against Russia's "aggressive actions," with the conflict having the potential to spill out into NATO countries.View on euronews

  • EU targets Russian-influence operations in Moldova with sanctions

    The European Union on Monday blacklisted five Moldovan pro-Russia politicians and one non-governmental organization promoting the Kremlin's destabilizing activities in the vulnerable former Soviet nation.

  • Biden planning to convene ‘European Quad’ during Germany visit this week, officials say

    US President Joe Biden is expected to revive a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Berlin this week, according to three Western officials familiar with the matter, as the top arms suppliers to Ukraine consider future support for a conflict that’s about to enter its fourth year.

  • China's exports to Russia grow in September at fastest pace in nine months

    China's exports to Russia grew 15.7% in September from a year earlier, the fastest pace in nine months and up from a 10.1% gain a month prior, Chinese customs data showed on Monday, following fresh agreements to expand economic cooperation. In late August, China and Russia signed cooperation agreements in areas such as investment, cross-border cargo transportation and science and technology, during a visit to Moscow by China's second-ranking official Premier Li Qiang.

  • US says it opposes scope of Israeli air strikes in Beirut

    WASHINGTON/ BEIRUT, (Reuters) -The United States, Israel's closest ally, on Tuesday said it opposed the scope of the country's air strikes in Beirut over the past few weeks amid a rising death toll and fears of wider escalation involving Iran. Israeli military evacuation orders were also affecting more than a quarter of Lebanon, according to the U.N. refugee agency, two weeks after Israel began incursions into the south of the country that it says are aimed at pushing back Hezbollah.

  • China urges caution in Israel-Iran tensions, calls for ceasefire

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on all parties involved in tensions between Israel and Iran on Monday to exercise caution and avoid escalating the situation. In a phone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Wang also urged Israel to ensure the safety of personnel of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a foreign ministry statement said.

  • Russia blames South Korea for tension, calls for diplomacy

    South Korea said the North was getting ready to blow up roads that cross the heavily militarized border in an escalating exchange of verbal barbs after the North accused its rival of sending drones over its capital Pyongyang. Russia has drawn closer to North Korea in diplomatic and military ties since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged visits.

  • Middle East latest: Israel faces mounting criticism over attacks on UN peacekeepers

    Criticism mounted Monday over attacks on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated the warning for them to temporarily leave the area where the military is operating against Hezbollah militants.