Australia resumes canola shipments to China after a five-year hiatus

to dock in Esperance, Western Australia, on Wednesday, where it will load approximately 60,000 tonnes of canola. The vessel will then head to the port of Qingdao in northeastern China, according to a cargo manifest on the Southern Ports website. The vessel is scheduled to depart Australia on Friday or Saturday. In the last quarter of this year, China placed orders for at least three trial cargoes of oilseeds, marking a resumption of imports from Australia after a hiatus that began in 2020 due to restrictions related to phytosanitary concerns. Currently, according to the Australian Department of Agriculture’s website, canola shipments are being tested for undesirable contaminants, such as “non-seed material,” in amounts not exceeding 1%. This testing follows tensions in relations between China and Canada, the largest supplier of oilseeds. Prior to the dispute, virtually all of China’s canola imports—approximately 6.39 million tonnes in 2024—were Canadian products. According to a ...