China lifts trade ban on Aussie citrus, stone fruits, mangoes & cherries

Chinese authorities have updated a list of approved producers to allow access into the country's domestic market for the first time in more than two years.

The latest updates include Australian orchards and treatment facilities for citrus products, stone fruit, mangos, and cherries. In the citrus industry alone, almost 500 orchards were granted access.

National Farmers' Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said the welcome news brought a smile to his face.

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"The relationship between Australia and China is going in the right direction for agriculture," Mr Mahar said.

"China is an incredibly attractive and important market and is growing all the time, sectors like horticulture see China as a significant growth market."

Nationals leader David Littleproud welcomed the development, which was another step in the "incremental improvement" in Australia's relationship with China.

Mr Littleproud said ending the tariffs on Australian wine remained the litmus test for China.

"If they were to move on wine, that would signal a very big intent of shifting the relationship back to mutual respect," Mr Littleproud said.

"There's $1.2 billion that was stripped out of the wine industry with no other real market to send it to, that was lost overnight.

"The conversations I've had with the Chinese Ambassador in Canberra is that will be the signal of real intent that they intend to work cooperatively with us."

China's lift on horticultural restrictions comes off the back of the Asian superpower easing an unofficial ban on Australian timber, as relationships between the two nations slowly defrost after two years of heightened tensions.

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