Labor is disappointed that Trade Minister Dan Tehan is yet to receive a reply to a letter he sent to China’s new commerce minister, Wang Wentao, seeking to reopen dialogue with our biggest trading partner.

When Mr Tehan became Trade Minister in mid-December, exporters hoped the appointment would prove to be a circuit-breaker in Australia’s trade disputes with China.

But so far it appears nothing has changed.

Australian coal, wine, barley, meat, seafood, timber, copper and other exports face continued difficulties in accessing the Chinese market.

Thousands of Australian jobs remain at risk, yet the Morrison Government still does not have a plan to support our exporters.

Exporters had also hoped that Mr Tehan’s appointment meant the Morrison Government might finally take seriously the need for genuine trade diversification.

Yet Mr Tehan told Parliament this week he has yet to hold a bilateral meeting with a trade minister from another country since being sworn in.

His first bilateral meeting as Trade Minister will be held with his New Zealand counterpart today – 42 days after he started in the job.

As it is clear the Minister is having trouble organising urgent bilateral ministerial meetings, Labor hopes he has been using his time to meet exporters suffering because of these trade tensions.

Australian businesses and workers demand urgency from the Morrison Government in fixing our trade problems – not more of the same inaction.