Australia keen to make progress on Chinese export hurdles for beef, lobsters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia is focused on removing impediments to exports to China for live lobsters and beef from some suppliers, a government official said, one day after Beijing said it would lift tariffs on Australian wine.

Australia and China, its largest trading partner, are rebuilding ties after a period of strained relations which hit a low in 2020 after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19.

Trade spats over barley, coal and now wine have been resolved but a Chinese ban on exports of Australian live lobsters is still in place as is a ban on shipments from eight meat export establishments.

"There is progress still to made in relation to beef, progress still to be made in relation to some categories of seafood," Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres told a media briefing.

"We are going to keep the focus on those sectors at official level and at ministerial level to resolve those differences," he said.

(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)