Australia prepares to escalate action against China to World Trade Organization over barley tariffs

As tension grows over Beijing’s massive tariffs on Australian wine, the Federal Government is continuing with plans to take China to the World Trade Organization over barley exports.

In May, China began threatening to slap the tariffs on the barley industry, as a result of “an ongoing anti-dumping and countervailing duties investigation”.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has detailed appeals the Government has made through China’s domestic processes to overturn the decision and limit the impact on the $1.5 billion barley trade with China.

“We sought to engage in good faith,” Senator Birmingham told the Insiders program this morning.

“We are disappointed that all the evidence, as compelling as we are confident it is, was rejected by the…