Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has secured a promise from China's Premier Li Qiang to lift the ban on Australian rock lobsters by the end of the year, offering relief to an industry struggling since being locked out of the Chinese market.
Rock lobster fishers, frustrated by ongoing trade restrictions, have faced significant challenges despite the federal government's earlier assurance that the embargo was nearing resolution.
Australian rock lobster exports to China were valued at A$700 million annually before Beijing imposed the ban in 2020-2021, as part of broader economic sanctions.
Albanese met Premier Li during the ASEAN meeting in Laos this week and announced that China’s second most senior leader had agreed on a “timetable” for the lobsters' return to the market, ideally by the end of the year and in time for Chinese New Year in early 2025.
“This will be welcomed by the people engaged in the live lobster industry in places like Geraldton, South Australia, Tasmania and many parts of regional Australia,” the PM said.
He told journalists in Vientiane that Premier Li's promise had once again vindicated the government's approach to China.
"With our patient, calibrated and deliberate approach, we've restored Australian trade with our largest export market, and today we discussed restarting exports of Australian live rock lobsters," Albanese said in Laos.
Relief for industry
Clint Moss, a lobster fisher from Lancelin, expressed relief over the potential return of their biggest customer.
"If the big guys have got together and signed on the dotted line, I'm more than happy with that," Moss told the ABC.
He added that the reopening could help rebuild business plans and secure the future for many in the industry: “Chinese New Year was always a fantastic time for us … so that could be unbelievably good news for a lot of fishers, that’s for sure.”
Andrew Ferguson, managing director of Ferguson Australia, shared similar sentiments, although he cautioned that the industry would have to work hard to regain market share.
"While I’m excited and very pleased to hear this … we certainly can’t lose sight of what happened over the last four years," he said.