Australian rock lobster exporters are being punished by China for avoiding tax duties on their products, according to an export specialist, who added that the seafood industry has been deliberately dodging Chinese authorities for some time now.

Instead of trading directly with mainland China, trade expert Peter Wentzki said on Tuesday that the local rock lobster industry opted to ship their export through the backdoor route of Hong Kong to effectively fend off the possibility of servicing tariff fess imposed by Beijing.

That practice, according to Wentzki, has been going on for a number of years now and Australian traders apparent brazen disregard of China's export regulations finally enraged Chinese authorities and ordered the ban on rock lobsters from Australia while allowing the inflows of produce from New Zealand and South Africa.

Yet the irony is, "the Australian lobster industry has been in a position for years to export legitimately," Wentzki said but local producers still adamantly relied on the illegal grey trade via Hong Kong.

The trade specialist said that the Chinese action was calculated and Beijing precisely made its decision in time for the holiday season in order to bring home its message and force the local industry to listen.

Also, Wentzki said that the move was also designed to partially paralyse the rock lobster industry's grey trading route, which appeared to have been successful as market price of the popular seafood suffered considerable slides since the prohibition was announced by Beijing.

However, the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishermen's Association argued that the industry's current trade practice was adopted for the simple reason that Hong Kong is the nearest location from Australia to transport the country's numerous fresh produces into China.

Association representative Rodney Treloggen told ABC that Tasmanian seafood and vegetable producers are currently using the Hong Kong trade route to ferry their goods "because it's the closest avenue to get to the markets in southern China."

The ongoing trade ban has left the $500 million Australian rock lobster industry reeling from actual and prospective losses as China is presently the sector's biggest market for its produce, with industry representatives from South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia holding discussions to devise ways in dealing with the issue and convince Chinese authorities to lift the ban soon enough.