Latest news with #USBeefImportsReview
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Australia raises the steaks with Trump, drops US beef import curbs
Australia lifted on Thursday strict biosecurity restrictions on beef imports from the US after an extensive scientific and risk review, likely removing a key concern for US President Donald Trump's administration over bilateral trade. Advertisement Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said Australia was satisfied with the measures put in place by the United States to effectively manage biosecurity risks. 'The US Beef Imports Review has undergone a rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade,' Collins said in a statement. 'The … government will never compromise on biosecurity.' News of Australia lifting the curbs was first reported by the Australian Financial Review. Advertisement The report said Australia will use the easing of rules to argue its case for the US to wind back 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium and Trump's threat to impose a 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Australia raises the steaks with Trump, drops US beef import curbs
Australia lifted on Thursday strict biosecurity restrictions on beef imports from the US after an extensive scientific and risk review, likely removing a key concern for US President Donald Trump's administration over bilateral trade. Advertisement Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said Australia was satisfied with the measures put in place by the United States to effectively manage biosecurity risks. 'The US Beef Imports Review has undergone a rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade,' Collins said in a statement. 'The … government will never compromise on biosecurity.' News of Australia lifting the curbs was first reported by the Australian Financial Review. Advertisement The report said Australia will use the easing of rules to argue its case for the US to wind back 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium and Trump's threat to impose a 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals.
Herald Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Labor lifts US beef ban amid tariff talks
Australia is lifting a ban on US beef from cattle originating in third countries, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has confirmed. American beef imports have emerged as a key negotiating item in the Albanese government's efforts to secure a tariff carve out. The Trump administration has been pushing for Australia to loosen import rules to include beef from cattle originating in Canada and Mexico but slaughtered in the US. Anthony Albanese confirmed last month biosecurity officials were reviewing the request but vowed his government would not 'compromise' Australia's strict bio laws amid outrage from the Nationals and cattle farmers. Ms Collins on Thursday repeated the Prime Minister's vow. 'The Albanese Labor government will never compromise on biosecurity,' she said in a statement. 'The US Beef Imports Review has undergone a rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade. 'The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks. 'Australia stands for open and fair trade – our cattle industry has benefited significantly from this.' The US last year rolled out new standards to trace all cattle brought into the country from Canada and Mexico. Similar to Australia's own domestic tagging system, the new US standards let authorities trace the bovines throughout the supply chain, all the way back to their originating farms. The move was first reported by the Australian Financial Review, citing an anonymous government source. Amanda Rishworth was the first Albanese government minister to publicly confirm the reporting. Appearing on Nine's Today early on Thursday morning, she rejected that Labor had not been transparent in its handling of the US demand. 'Obviously, for national security reasons, at times, governments of all persuasions haven't put everything into the public domain,' she said. 'But when it comes to what's known as the beef review … that review has been underway for a decade or over a decade, looking at how we can make sure that our biosecurity is safe. 'We will not compromise on biosecurity. 'That review has been undertaken and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry believe that there are the right controls in place in the US to lift that ban.' The ban's lifting comes just a day after Donald Trump announced a trade deal had been struck with Japan. The deal dropped the threatened blanket 25 per cent levy to 15 per cent, which is still higher than the universal 10 per cent Australia has. It also lowered the impost on Japanese cars to 15 per cent – the lowest rate of any auto-making country. 'Meeting with President Trump' Even the prospect of changing biosecurity laws was enough to spark fury from the Nationals last month, with the party's leader David Littleproud demanding Mr Albanese rule out any weakening of restrictions. Mr Littleproud's Coalition colleague, Liberal senator James Paterson, was noticeably cautious to give a read on the latest development when fronting Sky News. The opposition finance spokesman said that it is 'more easy than it ever has been to track the origin of species and cattle and other produce' and that 'there's no reason why that couldn't be done by other countries as well'. 'Perhaps the Prime Minister has found a way through this problem,' Senator Paterson said. 'But if he has, he should explain how he's done so. 'He should stand up today and explain to the beef farmers of Australia that there is no risk for their biosecurity and that he hasn't watered it down. 'But if he has watered it down, I think this is what's going to be a very difficult one for the government to explain.' The Albanese government was rattled earlier this month by the US President's threat to slap a 200 per cent duty on foreign pharmaceuticals. Australia exported some $2.2bn in pharmaceuticals to the US in 2024, making it the third-biggest export market. The Trump administration has also not kept secret it is mulling further sectoral tariffs to impose on top of baseline and so-called 'reciprocal' rates. While Australia dodged the reciprocal tariffs earlier this year, it has not been able to escape levies of up to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium. Senator Paterson said a 'meeting with President Trump' would be a better way to get a tariff exemption, pointing out that Mr Albanese has not yet secured a face-to-face with the US leader. 'It is inexplicable that Australia, traditionally a tier-one US ally, has gone this long without a meeting between our prime minister and a new president,' he said. 'It's extraordinary, frankly, countries who are far less close to the United States have managed to get audiences with the President in the Oval Office far earlier than this government even appears to have attempted to do so. 'So that is the critical thing that needs to be done if we're to secure a good trade relationship, and, frankly, also safeguard AUKUS and our important national security relationship as well.' While some governments have locked in trade deals with Washington, no country has managed to secure a complete exemption from the Trump administration's tariffs. Originally published as Labor lifts US beef ban amid tariff talks
Sky News AU
7 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Coalition demands answers after Albanese government lifts biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports
The Albanese government is being urged to explain its backflip on a US beef ban after the Prime Minister previously insisted Labor would not 'compromise' on biosecurity. The Australian Financial Review revealed on Thursday that Australian officials had notified their US counterparts that restrictions on the importation of US beef will be lifted following a scientific review of the biosecurity risks. Responding to the reports on Thursday, Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie said the decision could pose a risk to our beef industry. 'We need to make sure our $11 billion beef export industry is protected. Our concerns would be any watering down of those science-based protocols would lead the risk of disease, entering this country, and our farmers, being subjected to unnecessary risk,' Ms McKenzie said. Shadow finance minister James Paterson said the government needed to explain its backflip. 'The prime minister himself has said that we couldn't relax the restrictions on the importation of US beef because of serious biosecurity concerns," Mr Paterson told Sky News. "So if the government has found some way of dealing with that issue, protecting our domestic agricultural industry from the introduction of foreign diseases and pests, then they should say so they should stand up and explain that, not anonymously leak it to a newspaper. 'Full credit to the AFR for getting the story, but a major story like this affecting a major export industry of about $11 billion a year and about an $82 billion domestic industry, when you include red meat more broadly, deserves more answers than this.' The restrictions had been cited by President Donald Trump as a justification for his decision to impose a 10 per cent across the board tariff on Australian imports – as well as much larger tariffs on steel and aluminium – in violation of the existing Australia-US free trade agreement. 'Australia bans – and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef,' President Trump said in April In response to the comments, Prime Minister Albanese emphatically declared his government 'will not change or compromise any of the issues regarding biosecurity, full stop, exclamation mark, it's simply not worth it. So it's that simple.' A blanket ban on US beef imports - imposed following a mad cow disease in 2003 - was repealed in 2019. However biosecurity rules have remained in place due to the risk of beef from countries such as Mexico and Canada being imported through the US, and no American beef has been imported under the new scheme. But a government source told the AFR on Thursday that the US Beef Imports Review had undertaken a 'rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade' and the bans would be lifted. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed the report, saying in a statement that her department was "satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks.' However Cattle Australia CEO Will Evans said he was sure the decision would not have been made unless scientific experts had the 'utmost confidence' it would not impose a risk to Australia's cattle industry. 'Context is important here. We export more than $4 billion of beef a year to the US, and this has been a multi-year assessment process undertaken by the Department of Agriculture - they're the competent authority in this, and they're required to assess this under a rules based trading system. 'What they've done is they've completed a technical scientific assessment, and they've said, look, there are the right processes in place in these countries to be able to manage these risks, and they've determined that they're going to grant access after making this assessment over many years. 'Now, the cattle industry is a $75 billion industry in Australia. I'm sure they wouldn't have made this decision unless they had the utmost confidence that the science was correct.'
7NEWS
7 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Australia lifts ban on import of US beef
The Albanese Government has lifted a ban on United States beef, in a major move to appease the Trump Administration and to try and end tariffs on Australian exports. The US has had beef access into Australia since 2019. The announcement on Thursday will allow for expanded access to include beef sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which is legally imported and slaughtered in America. Albanese Government sources say in late 2024 and early 2025, the US introduced more robust movement controls, which means that all cattle from Canada and Mexico can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins said the government has done all the necessary checks. 'The Albanese Labor government will never compromise on biosecurity,' she said. 'The US Beef Imports Review has undergone a rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade. 'The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks. 'Australia stands for open and fair trade - our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this.' Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie says the Opposition is waiting for a briefing from the government on the details of the announcement. But the Coalition is concerned protocols may have been watered down, risking disease entering Australia. 'We know this is because of the Prime Minister's inability to repair our relationship with the United States,' McKenzie said. 'Anthony Albanese must not sacrifice our beef industry and our farmers to repair the diplomatic deficiencies of his relationship with the United States.' Aussie beef has had back-to-back record-breaking export years, with last year worth $14 billion.
