**Argentina has complained to the Chinese government about a planned boycott of its soya oil exports amid a growing trade dispute.**China’s ambassador to Argentina was summoned on Monday after a Chinese trade body told traders not to buy Argentine soya oil.
China says it will ban imports because the oil fails to meet quality standards.
But it is also seen as the latest move in a long-running trade dispute.
In recent months, Argentina has sought to restrict imports of some Chinese goods in order to protect its domestic industries.
Economic impact
China insists that the Argentine oil contains excessive levels of a solvent used in processing.
A Chinese ban on soya oil would have a huge impact on Argentina’s economy, which is heavily reliant on the soya oil industry.
Argentina is the biggest soya oil exporter in the world, while China is single biggest customer.
Any restriction on sales would also hurt Argentina’s public finances, with the government benefitting from a 32% export tariff on soya oil.
US soya oil futures rose in response to the news, with investors speculating that rival producers in Brazil and the US will benefit should the ban go ahead.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.