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China’s lifting of the ban on Australian rock lobsters was not in exchange for anything else, says the assistant trade minister.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang reached an agreement to resume lobster exports to China by the end of the year, following a meeting last week in Laos.

The breakthrough means that almost all sanctions imposed by Beijing on Australian products worth $20 billion have now been lifted.

China introduced the sanctions in 2020 after the previous Morrison government called for an investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Tim Ayres rejected the suggestion that anything should be offered in return for lifting the trade bans.

“It’s a very strange claim with no evidence to back it up,” he said. “The administration has been completely consistent in the way we have dealt with the challenge of stabilizing relations with China.”

Senator Ayres reiterated the government’s message to Australian businesses to diversify their markets, saying there is a “lesson to be learned”.

Liberal Senator James Paterson said the Coalition welcomed the lifting of the tariffs.

He said Labor deserved the honor but it was a national achievement.

“The reason the Chinese government abandoned these sanctions is because they didn’t work,” he said. “They had two objectives. One of these was damaging the Australian economy, and sending a message to our like-minded partners and friends: never speak out against China, because there will be a cost.

“The second was changing our domestic policy settings… it failed on both counts.”

Only two beef producers remain suspended and work is underway to have them lifted.

Australian wine and lobsters were among the industries hit by the tariffs, crippled by the loss of the Chinese market.

Rock lobster exports were worth more than $700 million, and the loss of trade affected more than 3000 Australians working in the industry.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner, with total two-way trade reaching a record $327 billion in 2023.