Chinese authorities have updated a list of approved Australian producers allowed to sell to their market.
For the citrus industry alone, almost 500 more orchard blocks have been added to the list.
“We’ve had lists waiting to be approved for a number of years and this is a positive sign that they have approved them,” Citrus Australia chief executive officer Nathan Hancock said.
“The Chinese market is a significant market for Australia ... China has been a strong market for us prior to the pandemic and we're looking forward to any opportunity to keep that going.”
For Australian citrus to be exported to China, growers need to be registered by the Federal Government and be on the Chinese list.
It’s the first time the lists have been updated since 2020 for stone fruit, mangoes and cherries, and the first time since 2021 for citrus.
“I think combined with other horticultural crops that have been approved there is potential for quite some millions of dollars in trade to to occur,” Mr Hancock said.
“We think that this is a great sign that Beijing and Canberra are talking and that things are moving in the right trajectory.”
The move follows the first meeting in more than two years between representatives from the Australian department of agriculture and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China.
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