Despite costing him a lot of money, Tyrrell stands behind the Australian government’s choices. “It was clear that China introduced those tariffs for political reasons,” he says. Australia is the first country to call for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus. This was seen in Beijing as a direct attack. “We wanted to know what happened in Wuhan so that we can make sure that another pandemic doesn’t happen again. If that means giving up economically, then so be it. Principle is more important than money,” says Tyrrell firmly .
Not only the wine industry, but also other Australian products such as barley and beef are affected by the Chinese import tariffs. At the same time, iron ore trade continues; so it has not yet had a disastrous effect on the entire Australian economy. Prime Minister Morrison has said he will not be intimidated by China.
Tyrell agrees. “It’s kind of like the schoolyard bully. If you let him get away with it, he’ll keep going. But if you punch him in the nose, he runs away. I don’t mean we should punch China in the nose , that’s a bigger battle than we can handle as Australia. But we have to stand up for ourselves and our sovereignty.”
splits
Few countries are as economically dependent on China as Australia. But culturally, ideologically and militarily, Australia is linked to the United States. The Australian government has long tried to befriend both superpowers. Now that China does not shy away from these economic sanctions, Down Under is saying goodbye to the idea that they can continue to maintain that split.
Meanwhile, the Australian wine industry is looking for other markets, including South Korea, Russia and also Europe. Although it does not mean that the Australian wine will soon be available for a bargain in Dutch supermarkets. We do not want to tamper with the price for the time being. In any case, Bruce Tyrrell has learned an important lesson. “You should never put all your eggs in one basket. Because at some point someone will saw the bottom out of your basket,” he says with a laugh.
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