By Anadolu staff
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday expressed concern over reports that China has halted imports of iron ore from mining giant BHP amid an ongoing pricing dispute.
Speaking to reporters, the prime minister said ensuring markets operate fairly and without disruption was essential for both countries.
"I am concerned about that. And what we want to make sure is that markets operate properly. And of course, we have seen those issues in the past. I want to see Australian iron ore be able to be exported into China without hindrance. That is important. It makes a major contribution to China's economy, but also to Australia's," he said.
The reaction came after a day earlier Bloomberg reported China’s state-run iron ore buyer has told major steelmakers and traders to temporarily halt purchases of all new BHP Group cargoes due to a pricing dispute.
However, the Australia premier hoped that it would be for short term and that these measures are "disappointing."
"These measures are always disappointing. But let's hope, certainly, that they are very much short term. Sometimes when people are negotiating over price, sometimes these things will occur. But I want to see this resolved quickly," he added.