Comment: China, by its imposition of agricultural tariffs on the US, but not on Australia, can drive a type of economic wedge between important US and Australian market interests. While (loyal to the US) Australian politicians would be reluctant to say it out loud Australian farmers are to benefit greatly from Trump's US versus China trade war. What is an increased Chinese tariff led market loss for American farmers is a market gain for Australian farmers who face no such tariff increases.
News: On April 2, 2018 comes the happy tiding: "China says it is rolling out new tariffs on meat, fruit, wine and other products from the United States as retaliation against taxes approved by US President Donald Trump on imported steel and aluminium."
Comment: So Australia has not yet been caught in any trade war downsides, yet. Australia has not been hit with Trump's aluminium or steel tariffs yet. Fortunately Australia is already a heavy exporter of meat [see below], fruit and wine to China. So these Australian agricultural exports to China merely need to increase.
News: On April 2, 2018 comes the happy tiding: "China says it is rolling out new tariffs on meat, fruit, wine and other products from the United States as retaliation against taxes approved by US President Donald Trump on imported steel and aluminium."
[The China imposed tariffs] are in response to tariffs of 10 per cent on aluminium and 25 per cent on steel that have also angered US allies. Trump, however, has temporarily suspended [any aluminium or steel tariffs on] the European Union as well as any on] Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and South Korea.
Comment: So Australia has not yet been caught in any trade war downsides, yet. Australia has not been hit with Trump's aluminium or steel tariffs yet. Fortunately Australia is already a heavy exporter of meat [see below], fruit and wine to China. So these Australian agricultural exports to China merely need to increase.
Table of Australian agricultural exports to China 1995 to 2011. The Table is courtesy National Australia Bank (NAB) April 22, 2015 which reports: “...Chinese demand for premium and high quality Australian food products, such as beef and other meat, has increased dramatically in the last two years. In 2013, Australian exports in beef to China increased nearly four times, oil seeds five times, and meat exports doubled year-on-year...”
Pete