❓ WA Premier addresses concerns about trade issues with China, particularly regarding barley, crayfish, and wine, highlighting the significant economic dependence of WA on this trade relationship and advocating for a balanced approach between international alliances and trade.
AnsweredQoN 885Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHINA — TRADE
RELATIONS
885. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
Can the Premier update the house on
the status of trade issues with China, including the status of issues with the
barley, crayfish and wine industries?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
RELATIONS
885. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
Can the Premier update the house on
the status of trade issues with China, including the status of issues with the
barley, crayfish and wine industries?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
AnswerView source ↗
As members would know, there have
been many public concerns about a range of industries and the potential impact
of steps being taken across the board on exports into China. China is our
biggest trading partner. On an annual basis, in fact over the last year, we
exported over $100 billion worth of products into China. That is around half of
our state's annual exports. As Western Australia produces around 40 to
50 per cent of the nation's exports, that is 25 per cent or thereabouts
of the nation's total exports. The state imports around $4 billion
worth of products out of China, so the trade
surplus between Western Australia and China is $96 billion. Treasury estimates
that that equates to around one-quarter of the employment in WA, so over 200 000
jobs are dependent upon this relationship.
There have obviously been some
concerns expressed about the products the Leader of the Opposition asked about.
I think the situation is quite fluid and, as yet, where it will land has not
been finally determined. Clearly, we have concerns on behalf of crayfishers,
barley farmers and wine exporters. I have expressed those concerns on multiple
occasions to the Prime Minister. I have offered to help in any way that we can.
I have contacted and been contacted by industry leaders across Western Australia—to
be honest, they are some of the most significant industry leaders in Australia—and
there is broad concern about this relationship.
It is not as though the nation
cannot balance two things. We need to be able to balance our alliance and
investment relationship with the United
States with our trading relationship with China. Both things need to be able to
continue . It is not as though by giving up trade with China we are
somehow going to score some huge geopolitical victory. All that will happen if our wine stops being exported to China is that
Californian wine will fill its place. If our barley stops going to
China, American barley will fill the void. If our grain stops going to China,
American grain will go there. If our beef stops going there, American beef will
go there. It is not as though the United States will suddenly say that it will not take that market. The
American position has been that it needs to rebalance its trading relationship with China, so it wants to take market share
from other countries around the world. If our country deliberately loses market share, the United States will pick it up—why would it not? How
will that achieve anything? Can anyone explain to me how that will achieve
anything, apart from costing us jobs and national income?
I
have expressed my view to the Prime Minister on a number of occasions. I express
my view about this to any federal minister I meet. I had recent meetings
with the Chinese consul and we discussed these matters. The Minister for
Fisheries met with the Chinese consul recently about the crayfish issue. We are
doing everything we can as a state to ensure that we have a rational policy for
trade and we continue to protect Western Australia jobs.
been many public concerns about a range of industries and the potential impact
of steps being taken across the board on exports into China. China is our
biggest trading partner. On an annual basis, in fact over the last year, we
exported over $100 billion worth of products into China. That is around half of
our state's annual exports. As Western Australia produces around 40 to
50 per cent of the nation's exports, that is 25 per cent or thereabouts
of the nation's total exports. The state imports around $4 billion
worth of products out of China, so the trade
surplus between Western Australia and China is $96 billion. Treasury estimates
that that equates to around one-quarter of the employment in WA, so over 200 000
jobs are dependent upon this relationship.
There have obviously been some
concerns expressed about the products the Leader of the Opposition asked about.
I think the situation is quite fluid and, as yet, where it will land has not
been finally determined. Clearly, we have concerns on behalf of crayfishers,
barley farmers and wine exporters. I have expressed those concerns on multiple
occasions to the Prime Minister. I have offered to help in any way that we can.
I have contacted and been contacted by industry leaders across Western Australia—to
be honest, they are some of the most significant industry leaders in Australia—and
there is broad concern about this relationship.
It is not as though the nation
cannot balance two things. We need to be able to balance our alliance and
investment relationship with the United
States with our trading relationship with China. Both things need to be able to
continue . It is not as though by giving up trade with China we are
somehow going to score some huge geopolitical victory. All that will happen if our wine stops being exported to China is that
Californian wine will fill its place. If our barley stops going to
China, American barley will fill the void. If our grain stops going to China,
American grain will go there. If our beef stops going there, American beef will
go there. It is not as though the United States will suddenly say that it will not take that market. The
American position has been that it needs to rebalance its trading relationship with China, so it wants to take market share
from other countries around the world. If our country deliberately loses market share, the United States will pick it up—why would it not? How
will that achieve anything? Can anyone explain to me how that will achieve
anything, apart from costing us jobs and national income?
I
have expressed my view to the Prime Minister on a number of occasions. I express
my view about this to any federal minister I meet. I had recent meetings
with the Chinese consul and we discussed these matters. The Minister for
Fisheries met with the Chinese consul recently about the crayfish issue. We are
doing everything we can as a state to ensure that we have a rational policy for
trade and we continue to protect Western Australia jobs.
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