Aussie Beef Industry
Inks Big China Deal

BRISBANE, Australia —(AP)— Beef producers in northern Australia are poised to gain millions of dollars from an export deal signed between Australia and China on Saturday.

The agreement means cattle producers in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia can now export slaughter cattle to China from northern ports.

Primary Industries and Energy Minister John Anderson said Australia's exports had dropped as a result of the Asian economic crisis.

But he said the Chinese market, with more than a billion potential customers, could mean significant growth.

Ahead of the agreement, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service had worked closely with the state governments to show China they were free from disease and it was safe to ship cattle from northern ports, he said.

"AQIS and the China Animal and Plant Quarantine signed a protocol for live cattle exports last year, but exports from southern Australian ports were not economically viable," Anderson said.

"China's acceptance of cattle from northern ports has the potential to boost Australia's live cattle export industry."