China bans rock lobster imports (?)

[updated 1,2]

This is strange.
(from ABC News)

Australia's biggest market for rock lobsters, China, has halted Australian imports.

Exporters have been told China will not accept the imports, pending negotiations with Australian officials.

Only Australian imports to China have been banned and New Zealand and South Africa can still sell their lobsters to the Chinese.

A South Australian lobster exporter, Andrew Laurie, says the ban will cost millions of dollars and affect SA, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.

"We're at a loss to understand why it's only Aussie lobster that's being singled out," he said.

Why pick on Australia? Seems an irrelevant choice (well, not to the Aussie industry, though).

Um, have just heard on the radio that other bans may be applied. Is China telling  us to keep our nose out of the Korean issue? Can't really see them banning the import of iron ore, though.

While most of the "news" stories express "surprise" at this ban, there is this sidelight from FIS worldnews -

China’s decision is having a devastating impact on the industry, said Rodney Treloggen from the Rock Lobster Fishermen's Association. 

"Up to probably 50-odd boats that are sitting out at sea at the moment around Tasmania that have fish on board, that can't unload," he said, ABC reports. "There is no capacity in the state for them to unload, the processors who hold live fish are at maximum capacity. 

"It's disastrous at the moment, our processors are advising their fishers not to go to sea," he added. 

Although Treloggen recognises that the ban is part of a major onslaught on exports for the Chinese market passing through Hong Kong to skirt high tariffs, the ban now also covers legitimate trade going through Shanghai and Beijing. (my emphasis)

.. and will also mention here that while trying to discover some more info on this - most of the "posts" and information from  "other" internet sources seem to have been "cut 'n' pasted" from the ABC story, with minor modifications.

On the other hand, have just found this -
Note; this was back when Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister; is now Foreign Minister)

PM called to act on Chinese fishing threat

Posted on January 8, 2009, 6:06pm and updated on January 16, 2009 at 11:48 am

The South East’s multi-million-dollar seafood export industry risks having many thousands of dollars of live product seized at Chinese customs, following new health regulations “coming out of the blue”.

The situation was described as a potentially serious by Member for Barker Patrick Secker yesterday, who called for urgent action from the Federal Government.

“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should pick up the phone to China and use his Mandarin to resolve the problem and give exporters a three-month buffer,” Mr Secker said.

“I am concerned shipments of rock lobster from the South East already on its way to China may be turned back, which would be a dead loss for exporters.”

Mr Secker said the South East was the largest producer of southern rock lobster in Australia and thousands of dollars of the live products was under threat from the shock new rules swept in last week.

“It is pretty unfair on exporters because of the abruptness of the new rules,” he said.

He said the southern rock lobster market in China was worth more than $74m each year, with millions of dollars of lobster coming from South East waters.

and this -
October 2009

 Australia's dwindling rock lobster stocks, forcing severe catch cuts in South Australia and Victoria, now has Tasmanian fishermen on the front foot offering a 20 per cent quota reduction.

Whatever that means, or is even relevant.
update1
OK, further info from the radio this evening suggests that it isn't particularly "political". Apparently there is no "ban" at all .. just difficulties at the ports.More than likely linked to the comment about the "crackdown" on imports through Hong Kong.
update 2
There seems to be some confusion derived from the emotive 'headline' word "ban" - settle down. Chinese authorities are within their rights to try to control "import tariffs" (doesn't everyone?).

Hong Kong has been an interesting experiment for the Chinese Politburo since 1 July 1997 and they are still trying to figure out how to handle it.
[for background; read "The last Governor": Jonathan Dimbleby. First published 1997. My edition published by Warner Books; 1998]

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