A paddock containing a crop of canola on the outskirts of the town of Mallala, north of Adelaide, Australia. Beijing barred canola imports from the country in 2020 over concerns about a fungal plant disease.

Chinese state-run trading firm COFCO has booked a cargo of about 50,000 metric tons of new-crop Australian canola, two traders told Reuters, just days after Beijing imposed temporary levies on top supplier Canada .

The purchase would mark China’s first imports from Australia since 2020 when Australia, the world’s second-largest canola exporter, was locked out of the Chinese market, largely due to phytosanitary restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of fungal plant disease.

COFCO has purchased the cargo for November-December shipment and is negotiating for more deals, accordin

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