There has been "another blow" to Australia's beef industry as China targets a Queensland-based abattoir by suspending trade exports, according to Sky News host Peter Gleeson. A number of abattoirs have been "attacked in the cross-fire of trade tensions" between the two nations, Mr Gleeson said. On Tuesday evening, Mr Gleeson spoke with Dr Scott Waldron, who is an Australia-Asia agricultural trade expert, about the latest trade tensions.
"I think the signal here is that China just wanted to keep a bit of political pressure on Australia," Dr Waldron said. He said the "barriers" that are being imposed on beef, plus the tariffs on Australian barley and wine are "forms of economic coercion". "That is where China has used economic instruments to impose costs on Australia, to change Australian foreign policy".