Saudi Arabia as a commodity importer

China-Australia Trade Dispute (2020-2023). May 2020 China imposed 80.5% tariffs on Australian barley over alleged dumping/subsidy violations. Australian exports to China collapsed from 4-6 MMT to near zero. Australia successfully diverted to Saudi Arabia, Japan, SE Asia, Middle East - market adjusted within 12-18 months. August 2023 China removed tariffs; trade resuming. Lesson: barley market more fungible than expected. Recurrence risk remains.

Middle East - Highest Per-Capita Consumption. Middle East 10-15 kg/capita/year - highest globally. Cultural staple. Religious festivals (Eid al-Adha, Ramadan) drive massive demand spikes. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait import live sheep for religious slaughter preference. Australian live sheep trade 2-3M head/year (controversial). 100% halal requirement.