Australia has announced that it will lift tough restrictions on beef imports from the United States, removing measures singled out for criticism by US President Donald Trump. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the government would remove the biosecurity restrictions after a “rigorous science and risk-based assessment” found risks of disease were being managed on the US side.
“Australia stands for open and fair trade – our cattle industry has significantly benefitted from this,” Collins said in a statement. The move comes after Trump called out Australia’s restrictions on US beef in his April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement of sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries. Trump said, “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef.”
The restrictions being lifted had prohibited the importation of beef from cattle raised in Canada and Mexico but slaughtered in the US. However, beef from cows raised and slaughtered in the US has been allowed since 2019, following an outbreak of mad cow disease.
Meat & Livestock Australia, a producer-owned company that supports the local beef industry, said the changes would have a minimal effect on the market. “The potential for US beef to be imported into Australia in large volumes is minimal, given the high demand for beef in the US, the low US cattle herd, the strength of the Australian dollar, our competitive domestic supply, and most importantly Australians’ strong preference for high-quality, tasty and nutritious Australian beef,” the company said.
Despite lifting the restrictions, Australia’s beef industry is unlikely to be significantly impacted, given the country’s strong preference for domestically produced beef. Australia exports about 70 percent of its beef and is among the main suppliers of red meat to the US, but consumes little US beef.
In the first three weeks of July, Australia exported about 26,000 tonnes of beef and veal to the US, according to government statistics. The country has been subject to Trump’s baseline 10 percent tariff since April. The lifting of restrictions is seen as a positive development for trade relations between the two countries.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the lifted restrictions will impact the beef industry in both Australia and the US. However, with Australia’s strong preference for domestic beef and the country’s competitive supply, the impact is expected to be minimal.