China's April imports of Australian wheat surge 525.72% despite hostility from Canberra
Global Times
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A farmer operates a pesticide sprayer over a wheat field in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu Province on March 23, 2022. The Chinese government has allocated 20 billion yuan ($3.14 billion) to support farmers who grow grain, among other measures, according to the People’s Daily. Photo: VCG

A farmer operates a pesticide sprayer over a wheat field in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu Province on March 23, 2022. The Chinese government has allocated 20 billion yuan ($3.14 billion) to support farmers who grow grain, among other measures, according to the People’s Daily. (Photo: VCG)

China’s total wheat imports decreased by 22.4 percent year-on-year in April, but imports from Australia, France and Russia have skyrocketed, the latest statistics from Chinese customs showed.

Imports from Australia, in particular, surged by over 500 percent from last year, due to a low basis and changed domestic and global market conditions. However, Australia’s hostile approach toward China continues to cast a dark cloud over the development of bilateral trade, experts said.

In April, China imported 495,614 tons of Australian wheat, up 10.5 percent from March and 525.72 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Australia was China’s largest import source of wheat, accounting for 64.2 percent of total imports of 698,900 tons. And France was the second largest, with 192,584 tons, up 180.3 percent on a yearly basis.

Wheat imports from Russia stood at 2,990 tons, which only accounted for 0.39 percent of China’s total wheat imports in April, down from 0.5 percent in 2021. But the volume in April increased by 940.3 percent year-on-year, per GAC data.

On February 24, the GAC announced that China allowed wheat imports from all over Russia, expanding from the previous import permission given to seven states.

The annual increase in Australia and Russia is mainly because of a low base in 2021, Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Rural Development Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

In the wheat imports to China in 2021, Australia ranked first with 28.14 percent, followed by the US with 28.05 percent and Canada ranked third.

But in April, Australian wheat bounced back, while China’s imports of US wheat went down about 100 percent year-on-year. In April, US wheat only took 0.004 percent of total imports.

“China is pragmatic about trade. For China, the essence of trade is mutual benefit,” Li noted.

Some Australian exports, including agricultural goods, have suffered as bilateral ties soured following Canberra’s unreasonable provocations against China. However, despite Australia’s constant anti-China hostility and claims of “economic coercion,” China has not announced any formal trade retaliation.

There are various domestic and global market factors behind the rapid rise in wheat imports from Australia, in addition to the low base, and it does not reflect changes to the current difficulties in China-Australia ties, experts noted.

Overall trade will continue to be haunted by Canberra’s hostile policies, including revoking business agreements and barring Chinese investment.

Australian officials have called for trade talks with China, but Chinese officials have repeatedly urged Australia to reflect on its wrong approach toward China and to rectify its wrongdoings in order to improve bilateral ties.