Relations between China and Australia have slipped in the last year,^[1] as Australia has criticized China’s response to COVID-19 and its treatment of the Uighur minority, while siding with the United States on issues such as cybersecurity.

China has already placed tariffs on Australian beef, barley, and wine, but now the Chinese seem to be targeting cotton^[2] and coal^[3] as well. Coal is a major export for Australia—China buys a quarter of Australia’s production—and any change in China’s buying habits would have major consequences for Australian producers and downstream companies.