Lawmakers urge citizens to support Australian wine as a stand against China

Politicians from various Western nations are encouraging consumers to purchase Australian wine to push back against China's heavy tariffs on the product.

China has long been the largest market for Australian wine, but after Beijing imposed tariffs as high as 212% amid a worsening trade dispute, Australian winemakers are scrambling to find new buyers.

Members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international group of lawmakers advocating for a new approach to China, have called for consumers to resist Beijing’s pressure.

In a Twitter video, Miriam Lexmann, a European Parliament member from the Christian Democrats, urged people to join in opposing Xi Jinping's authoritarian tactics, declaring, 'We must stand against his bullying.'

Elisabet Lann, a Swedish municipal councilor from the Christian Democrats, urged, 'By drinking a bottle or two of Australian wine, we show the Chinese Communist Party that we won’t back down.'

The video also features politicians such as Australian MP Kimberley Kitching, US Senator Ted Yoho, and Shiori Yamao, an independent member of Japan’s House of Representatives.

Tony Battaglene, CEO of Australian Grape and Wine, a national industry group, warned that Beijing’s tariffs have jeopardized business relations with mainland China.

Battaglene collaborates with about 800 Australian wine producers, many of whom have built their operations around exporting to China and now have no alternative markets, he said.

'We were blindsided, shocked,' Battaglene told Dinogo Business. 'These tariffs will essentially shut out Australian bottled wine from China’s market, especially premium wines. We can’t compete at those rates.'

China’s Ministry of Commerce declared on Friday that its decision was based on preliminary evidence of dumping. Australian authorities have strongly contested this, claiming China has failed to provide adequate proof.

The wine dispute is unfolding amid a broader decline in relations between the two countries. Australia angered China earlier this year by calling for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, prompting Beijing to retaliate by suspending beef imports and imposing hefty tariffs on barley.