"It is right and proper that Australia has launched action against China in the WTO to defend claims that we are dumping and subsidising our barley exports," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group said today.
"From time to time there are issues to resolve with the independent umpire and it is not the first time that China and Australia have been at odds in the WTO, as one would expect of significant trading partners.
"Business welcomes the certainty provided by the World Trade Organisation's rules for a stable and strong global trading system.
"China's and Australia's prosperity was built on the back of these rules and we have both been loud advocates on the value and need for these rules.
"The WTO provides an arms-length forum to resolve disputes that occur between trading partners with different political and economic systems.
"WTO action is business as usual and Australia has been an active participant, recently successfully taking on Canada over their treatment of our wines, and Indonesia took Australia to the WTO as we were successfully negotiating a new FTA.
"The WTO action is not a signal that we can’t work together; it should be seen as a reasonable option for responsibly settling disputes between two mature and long-standing trading partners," Mr Willox said.
Media enquiries: Tony Melville – 0419 190 347
