Australia in wine trade fight with Canada

Australia is taking on Canada over the trade rules it applies to the sale of its exported wine.

Australia has complained at the World Trade Organisation about the rules applied to sales of wine by Canada, a WTO filing has shown.

The Australian government has sent a shot across the bow to Canada as it launches a trade fight over wine exports.

The government has filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organisation in protest at the way Canada applies rules over the sale of Aussie wine.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo says Australia is seeing its share in the Canadian market erode.

It follows on from representations from local winemakers who are aggrieved at what is described as "protectionist" measures.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo says Australia is seeing its share in the Canadian market erode.

"Potentially this could cost Australian jobs," he told ABC radio on Wednesday.

"I want to make sure we're on the front foot about protecting Australia's interests."

Mr Ciobo denied the action is connected to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's snub of other world leaders during talks on a new Trans-Pacific Partnership deal at APEC last November.

"These are unrelated events," he said.

Australian wine sales to Canada are valued at nearly $200 million.

The formal WTO filing on Tuesday said: "It appears that a range of distribution, licensing and sales measures such as product mark-ups, market access and listing policies, as well as duties and taxes on wine applied at the federal and provincial level may discriminate, either directly or indirectly, against imported wine."