Aussie Beef & Lamb Reception in Shanghai

Mr John Williams, Australian Consul-General in Shanghai; Mr Andrew Cox, General Manager of International Markets for Aussie Beef & Lamb; Mr Daniel Gschwind, Board Chair of Trade and Investment Queensland; Mr Rhett Miller, Queensland Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for Greater China; Mr Murray Davis, Regional Manager for Greater China, Aussie Beef & Lamb; Ladies and gentlemen.

Wan shang hǎo.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Aussie Beef & Lamb Team for hosting this evening’s reception.

There are few things more quintessentially Australian than the sound of beef and lamb sizzling on the barbecue, or those aromas emanating from the oven.

This year-round tradition brings friends and family together across Australia and in many parts of the world.

It’s a uniting force, and one that we take great pride in sharing, particularly with our friends here in China.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner and leading agricultural products like beef and lamb play a central role in this important relationship.

The growth in recent years has been particularly impressive.

Compared to 2022, the export volume of Australian beef into the Chinese market has increased by more than 30 per cent, totalling over 206,000 tonnes.  

In my home state of Queensland, China is our largest agricultural export market, valued at $2.9 billion last year and representing over a fifth of total agricultural exports from the state in 2023.  

Make no mistake, beef plays a starring role in our country’s export industry.  

Australia has the best farmers and are the best beef producers in the world.

And we have forged a global reputation for quality.

Our beef industry is not just known for the exceptional quality of its produce, it is also renowned for its commitment to safe and sustainable production. 

We have enormous expertise, handed down through generations of farming families who have built the industry to what it is today.

And with almost half of Australia’s beef herd in Queensland, across some 13,000 farms, I am proud to stand before you and represent the many Queensland families whose livelihoods depend on the strong ties our two nations share.  

And I can tell you this – they, and all Australian beef producers, are committed to continuing to develop opportunities between us.

We are your partners so let’s share a plate of beef and lamb.

It is, after all, what friends do.