China lifts heavy tariffs on Australian wine as ties improve

FILE - Visitors wearing face masks walk past a display of Australian wines and other agricultural products at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, China, Nov. 5, 2020. China on Thursday, March 28, 2024, said it would lift tariffs placed on Australian wine over three years ago, in a sign of improving ties between Australia and China.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

BEIJING (AP) — China on Thursday said it will lift tariffs placed on Australian wine over three years ago, in a sign of improving ties between the two countries.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said the decision will take effect Friday.

China imposed tariffs on Australian wine in 2020 during a diplomatic feud, sending duties skyrocketing above 200%.

The Australian wine market took a heavy hit from the tariffs, as China was Australia’s top wine export destination.

Trade tariffs have been a hot topic between Beijing and Canberra in recent years after China imposed a raft of sanctions on Australian goods in 2020 during the most recent nadir in the bilateral relationship. It is estimated that the tariffs cost the Australian economy 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion).

Most of the tariffs have since been lifted as the relationship thawed.

The Associated Press