Latest news with #beef
Free Malaysia Today
13 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Australia relaxes curbs on US beef imports that angered Trump
Australia has shipped between 150,000 tonnes and 400,000 tonnes of beef to the US every year since 1990. (EPA Images pic) CANBERRA : Australia will ease restrictions on beef imports from the US, the country's agriculture ministry said today, potentially smoothing trade talks with US President Donald Trump, who had attacked its rules. 'Still, the decision, which US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins called a win for Trump, is unlikely to significantly boost US shipments because beef prices are much lower in Australia,' analysts said. Australia agriculture minister Julie Collins said in a statement that a 'rigorous science and risk-based assessment' had concluded that US measures to monitor and control the movement of cattle meant biosecurity risks were being effectively managed. The government 'will never compromise on biosecurity', she said, adding: 'Australia stands for open and fair trade – our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this'. Canberra has restricted US beef imports since 2003 due to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Meat from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the US has been allowed into Australia since 2019. However, few suppliers were able to prove their animals had been only in the US, because cattle frequently moved between the US, Canada and Mexico without being adequately tracked. The US has been improving its ability to monitor animals' movements to limit the spread of avian influenza and the New World screwworm, a parasite that eats cattle alive. 'Recognising those improvements, Australia will now also accept beef sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico and legally imported and slaughtered in the US,' the agriculture ministry said. 'Australian firms will be able to apply for import permits from July 28,' it added. Almost double 'Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines,' US agriculture secretary Rollins said in a statement crediting Trump with opening Australia's market. 'It's absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years,' she said. News of Australia changing its policy was first reported by the Australian Financial Review. The report said Australia will use the easing of rules to argue its case for the US to wind back 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium and Trump's threat to impose a 200% tariff on pharmaceuticals. Collins said the decision was a purely scientific one. Trump in April singled out the beef trade disparity with Australia after Australia's beef exports to the US last year, reaching A$4 billion (US$2.64 billion) amid a slump in US beef production. Australia's biosecurity regimen aims to keep its cattle disease-free and help it preserve access to lucrative markets such as Japan and South Korea. Industry body Cattle Australia and the shadow agriculture minister said there should be an independent review of the decision before it goes into effect. 'There is simply too much at stake,' said Will Evans, Cattle Australia's CEO. 'The highest level of caution must be exercised to protect Australia's beef industry,' Evans said. US beef shipments to Australia restarted last year after a hiatus. However, exports remained tiny. Last year's shipment of 269 tonnes of beef to Australia was the most for any year, beating out the 263 tonnes sent in 1995, Australian customs data show. Australia has shipped between around 150,000 tonnes and 400,000 tonnes of beef every year to the US since 1990, with US fast-food chains prizing Australian product for its lower fat content and competitive prices. 'Cattle prices in the US are almost always higher than in Australia and are currently double Australian levels,' said Matt Dalgleish, a meat and livestock analyst at consultants Episode 3. 'This is not going to displace Australian beef in the Australian market,' he said.
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Australian cattle industry reacts to US beef imports relaxation
Australian beef leaders believe that the future of our $75 billion industry depends on the federal government's decision to relax import laws on US beef being a correct choice. Cattle Australia has called for an independent review into the bombshell decision, announced on Thursday, saying there was 'simply too much at stake' for the nation's biosecurity. Industry figures were 'unsurprised' at the call and don't expect much demand for American beef, with one likening it to 'selling ice to the Eskimos'. The decision came after a '10-year process' and was not directly linked to ongoing tariff negotiations with the US, despite Donald Trump criticising the beef trade imbalance between the two nations, the government said. US beef has been allowed into Australia since 2019 but now cattle born in Canada and Mexico will also be available for import after a biosecurity assessment. Cattle Australia chief Will Evans told ABC radio on Thursday the body had to trust the government's process, stressing bureaucrats 'made the assessment themselves'. 'When you have a $75 billion industry relying on them not making this mistake, I am sure they have been cautious in their decision-making,' he said. But Mr Evans in a statement also said it was 'a little disappointing' the government did not 'provide industry with the full details' before making the announcement. Later on Thursday afternoon, Cattle Australia called for an independent scientific panel to review the government's decision. 'While we have been given assurances … we believe an independent scientific assessment is a sensible and prudent way forward. This must occur before imports commence,' he said. 'There is simply too much at stake when it comes to Australia's world-leading biosecurity status not to get a second opinion. 'Given the Minister's confidence she should have no issue appointing an independent panel to take the highest level of precaution in protecting the Australian beef industry.' Mr Evans earlier said Australia's beef industry was self-sufficient and any imports of US beef were 'unlikely to have any effect on the market', stressing that the US 'cannot currently meet its own needs, with Australia exporting almost 400,000 tonnes of beef to the US in 2024'. In fact, US beef prices have been hitting record levels domestically with a nine per cent growth since January alone. Ground beef is retailing at about US$9 for one pound (450g). Despite the Australian government's protestations otherwise, the Trump administration has heralded the move as a 'major trade breakthrough' gained through the President's tariff agenda. In a statement titled 'Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins: President Trump Secures Greater Ag Market Access to Australia for American Beef', US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins congratulated Mr Trump. 'This is yet another example of the kind of market access the president negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way,' she said. James Jackson, a beef and cattle farmer and ex-president of NSW Farmers, told he 'can't think of a reason' why Australian businesses would import more expensive US beef. 'There may be sort of bespoke restaurants, you know, guaranteed American (beef) … Texan steak or something like that,' he said. 'People may do it, but I seriously doubt it. 'The main reason there wasn't beef coming into Australia was that the economics of it weren't there, and the Americans didn't tidy up their traceability enough.' Previously, concerns over mad cow disease prevented the import of beef products from cows born in Canada and Mexico – which were regularly brought into US supply chains. The US now says it can trace all cattle to the farm and through the supply chain, after its farmers had long resisted more stringent regulations. Mr Jackson said the timing of the announcement was a 'bit suspicious' when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was hoping to negotiate on aluminium tariffs with the US, but did not believe there would have been any compromise on biosecurity. Tammi Jonas from the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance also said the timeline made it appear the government was 'kowtowing to Trump' but added she did not foresee much impact. 'I suspect that it's more about filling seasonal gaps,' she said. 'So if we have massive drought here you'll see an increase in imports from the US, I would imagine. 'But the only ones who stand to benefit from this, of course, are the major processors, the multinationals.' Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told reporters in Canberra on Thursday the decision was 'the culmination of what has been a 10-year process'. 'The US has been able to bring beef into Australia since 2019. In 2020 they asked (for) expanded access. 'This process now is at conclusion and has taken around five years to conclude, purely based on science and a rigorous assessment by my department.' She said the risk assessment was conducted by experts and 'Australia's biosecurity system is world renowned for a reason'. Mr Trump was also US President in 2020, near the end of his first term after winning the 2016 election. Nationals Leader David Littleproud said on Thursday afternoon he was 'gobsmacked' at the move and suggested there was a 'real risk' to health and biosecurity. 'It's a huge call from our Federal Government to come out with something like this,' he said. 'And I guess it exposes us, I think it exposes us immensely. It's of immense concern. 'I don't know how what's changed apart from probably some political pressure from the US?' Tim Ryan, chief of the Australian Meat Industry Council, said the move was 'not necessarily a surprise' and the council had been engaged in the process for several years. 'We raised previous concerns with what was on the table. The assurances we gain from the government as part of this decision have met those concerns that we previously raised,' he said. But Mr Ryan said he the commercial drivers of US beef arriving in Australia were 'pretty limited'. 'We're not expecting really any beef to arrive in Australia from the United States,' he said. 'At the end of the day, Australia produces the best beef in the world. We're an efficient producer of product like that. It's a bit like selling ice to the eskimos, but that said, we still need to follow the rules of trade. 'We rely on reciprocal treatment when we send our products all around the world, us accepting the United States' beef along the same terms is really a win for rules.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia to reduce US beef import restrictions denounced by Trump as a ban
Australia will reduce restrictions on U.S. beef imports after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized what he described as an Australian ban on the meat, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Famous Philly cheesesteak under threat as costs continue to spiral
The rising cost of beef is putting pressure on Philadelphia's iconic cheesesteak industry, with one prominent restaurateur expressing concern over the impact on his business and customers. Ken Silver, president of Jim's South St., notes that the price of beef from his supplier has climbed by approximately $1 per pound compared to a year ago. This recent hike follows a "crazy" roughly 50 per cent increase when his establishment reopened in 2024 after a fire. US beef prices have been steadily rising for the past two decades, a trend attributed to a tight supply of cattle coupled with sustained consumer popularity for the meat. 'Our strategy right now is just absorbing the price and hoping that we see a reduction after the summer months are over, the grilling season and all the rest,' Silver said Wednesday. He said a cheesesteak sandwich at Jim's South St. costs $13.49, up from $11.49 in 2022, when the popular eatery was forced to close for nearly two years because of a fire. Cheesesteaks typically are made with thinly sliced beef, cheese and onions, though other toppings are possible, too. For consumers, the average price of a pound of ground beef rose to $6.12 in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago, according to U.S. government data. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose 8% to $11.49 per pound. 'We've taken a hit, profitability-wise, just to maintain what our customers would expect to get when they come to us: a reasonably priced cheesesteak of the best quality they can find," Silver said. If supply costs don't ease, Silver said he might have to raise menu prices or declare a market price, which fluctuates and is commonly associated with seafood. 'I really hate to do that,' said Silver, whose father started the business in 1976. A customer, Bryan Williams, suggested a price hike wouldn't discourage him from placing an order. 'That's just how things are going lately,' he said. 'There's really nothing that they can do about it.'
ABC News
17 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Australia conveniently aligns with Donald Trump on beef exports
Welcome back to your weekly federal politics update, where Brett Worthington gets you up to speed on the happenings from Parliament House. Trade Minister Don Farrell did well to keep a straight face. "We don't link biosecurity issues with trade issues," he told Sky News Australia on Thursday morning. His comments came as it emerged Australia would lift the final biosecurity restrictions on beef from the United States, once President Donald Trump's biggest trade grievances with Australia. According to the government, it's merely a departmental decision taken after a decade of review. The US, meanwhile, insists it is "yet another example" of Trump's negotiating prowess. If it's all a coincidence, it's the kind that would even make Deidre Chambers blush. Trump has long had a bee in his bonnet over beef, having claimed that Australia banned US imports, all while his country imports billions worth from Down Under, even if the facts suggest otherwise. The US has been able to export its beef since 2019 but certain products were banned amid concerns over mad cow disease in beef originally sourced from Canada and Mexico. After repeatedly arguing it wouldn't trade away biosecurity standards to assuage Trump, the government now argues it is satisfied with improvements in US cattle traceability. Few expect the decision will see a flood of US beef to Australia, thanks in part to record low American herd numbers. If anything, some in the domestic cattle industry hope it might see the US offer a more sympathetic ear for Australian exports. But Nationals leader David Littleproud is demanding an independent inquiry. He went as far as to suggest that the decision was "traded away to appease Donald Trump". Beef is Australia's top export to the United States, something that has only increased since Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on imports earlier this year, making more expensive the cheeseburgers he famously loves. Andrew Leigh is experiencing an unusual sight for a Labor frontbencher — the prime minister's face. Such was the scale of Labor's landslide victory in May that its 94 Lower House MPs are unable to fit on just the government benches. It leaves Leigh, an assistant minister, sitting in the seat once occupied by Adam Bandt, the former Greens leader who lost his seat to Labor at the election. Gone are the days of Leigh having to look at the back of the PM's head, he now has a crystal clear view across to Labor's frontbench, aided by the lack of any Coalition frontbenchers in front of him. A Labor MP faces expulsion for crossing the floor on a vote, a lesson senator Fatima Payman learned last year. In Leigh's case, he's got no option but to cross the floor to vote. The return of the parliament brought with it all the usual pomp and circumstance. Re-elected Speaker Milton Dick was ceremonially dragged to the chair with so little resistance that the prime minister noted: "I've never seen you run as fast as you did towards that high office." Not even father of the house Bob Katter's attempts to assert his own allegiance — to the Australian people, not the King — could derail the proceedings inside the parliament. Outside though, it was a different matter, with protesters calling for the government to impose sanctions on Israel for attacks on Gaza, preventing a 19-gun salute marking the official opening. The return of Question Time brought with it nervous ministers getting their first outings at answering (or rather not answering) questions. Behind them, nervous backbenchers closely studied the scripted questions they were slated to ask. Sussan Ley too got her chance to ask her first questions as the newly installed opposition leader. The first woman to hold that role, she rolled into the chamber flanked with three women from her shadow cabinet. Together, they represented two-thirds of Liberal women in the House, levels that leave them comfortably able to fit into a Tarago should they ever want to travel together. Speculation had been building about how Albanese would navigate Ley sitting opposite him. In the end, there was little interaction between the two, with their respective treasurers instead left to spar over taxation. By Thursday they shared what looked like terser words as Defence Minister Richard Marles defended Labor's national security credentials, but it was a far cry from the heated interactions some of her predecessors had with Albanese. The government, meanwhile, was eager to yell from the rooftops about the first bills it was introducing into the parliament — from cutting student debt, to bolstering childcare safety and protecting penalty rates — as symbols of its agenda. Claims that these are the first bills are a bit of a farce, when you consider the actual first bill introduced was an amendment to the Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA), introduced by Albanese on Tuesday. The government defends it rhetoric about the student debt bill being its first, arguing the TGA amendment is ceremonial to assert its control of the chamber. Don't expect to hear Labor championing its actual first bill anytime soon. Across in the red room, Green Mehreen Faruqi found herself grounded from taking part in any overseas Senate delegations for the duration of the parliament. Faruqi's sin was holding a sign that called for sanctions on Israel while all parliamentarians were in the Senate for Governor-General Sam Mostyn's address on Tuesday. She later asked Albanese as he was leaving the chamber: "Prime minister, Gaza is starving, will you sanction Israel?" On Wednesday, Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong moved a motion that sanctioned Faruqi for using a prop, accused her of being an attention seeker who had drawn the governor general and High Court chief justice into a political debate and banned her from any overseas travel representing the Senate. "I can tell you this: the Greens will not be silent as this genocide unfolds," Faruqi told the chamber. "You will not be able to intimidate me or any of my colleagues. "We will never stop fighting for freedom for Palestine and all those oppressed people. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." For new MPs and senators, getting your head around the arcane rules of the parliament can be a confusing task. But as this week showed, tenure doesn't necessarily come with a grasp of how the place works. On Tuesday, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson nominated relative newcomer David Pocock to be Senate president. The surprised ACT independent declined the nomination and the Senate re-elected Labor's Sue Lines for the top job. Called to please explain her decision, Hanson (who is no fan of Lines) said it wasn't intended as a reward for her fellow crossbencher. "In the last term of parliament, 220 bills were actually guillotined from debate," she told ABC Radio Canberra. "David Pocock assisted the government in allowing that to happen with the majority of those bills ... it's wrong. After almost a decade in the Senate, it seems Hanson hasn't realised that the president gets a vote in every division. So not only was she offering Pocock a pay rise and promotion, but he still would have been able to vote however he wanted.
