The Financial Post reports in its Friday, Aug. 29, edition that China has booked at least three shipments of Australian canola, signalling an end to a years-long freeze as it aims to diversify its sources after a trade fallout with Canada. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post reports that Cofco arranged for the cargoes to reach Chinese crushing plants after December. Previously, Canada was China's top canola supplier, but relations soured following tariffs imposed by Ottawa, leading to Beijing's retaliatory tariffs on Canadian canola. Since 2020, Australia has been excluded from China's canola market due to phytosanitary concerns, with most of its exports going to the European Union and Japan. An Australian government spokesman said, "This is an active and ongoing government-government discussion and details have not been finalized." Given the Australian cargoes are booked for the fourth quarter, there is still a possibility for changes, such as cancellation or diversion. Last year, China purchased 6.39 million tonnes of canola, almost all of it from Canada. Cofco started making inquiries on Australian supplies earlier this year, with interest accelerating after further moves against Canada last month.