Woolworths, McDonald's and Coles say they will not stock US beef despite relaxed biosecurity measures
In June, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said Australia would be removing biosecurity restrictions on beef produced in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The move sparked concern from farmers, who warned it could introduce mad cow disease into Australia and threaten the livelihood of domestic producers.
However, McDonald's Australia and the nation's major supermarkets told Skynews.com.au they would continue to use Australian suppliers despite the government's move.
In a statement, a Woolworths spokesperson said they had longstanding relationships with many domestic suppliers and had 'no plans' to source beef elsewhere.
'We apply an Australia-first approach and 100 per cent of our fresh red meat is sourced directly from Australian farmers,' they said.
'We have no plans to change that approach.'
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Coles said: 'At Coles, we continue to partner with top beef producers across Australia to bring our customers the high-quality, 100 per cent Australian-sourced Coles brand fresh beef that they enjoy today'.
McDonald's Australia also said they would continue to purchase from Australian farmers.
'We'll continue to source 100 per cent Aussie beef for our menu and provide our customers with the great taste, quality, and value they know and love,' a spokesperson told Skynews.com.au.
Meat and Livestock Australia managing director Michael Crowley welcomed the decisions from Coles, Woolworth and McDonald's, as he sought to calm fears about the impact of the government's changes.
'The potential for US beef to be imported into Australia in large volumes is minimal,' he told Skynews.com.au.
Mr Crowley cited the high demand for Australian beef in the US, the low US cattle herd and the strength of the Australian dollar.
"More than 99 per cent of beef available in Australian supermarkets, pubs and restaurants is Australian beef,' he said.
"Australia produces approximately three times more beef than needed to feed our population. Around 70 per cent of our production is exported to global markets.
"The impact of US and Canadian beef entering Australia is expected to be minimal. It is unlikely there will be an adverse effect on Australian cattle producers."
The decision to loosen biosecurity rules comes as Australia attempts to navigate unpredictable trade policy from the Trump administration, including the threat of tariffs on a range of exports.
Trade Minister Don Farrell has refused to be drawn on whether opening the Australian market to US beef was part of an effort to avoid any potential trade restrictions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
27 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Lunch Wrap: ASX comes out swinging, rare earth stocks catch fire on price floor plan
ASX fires up as Wall Street sniffs rate cuts
 Rare earth stocks climb after Canberra hints floor price plan Telix tanks as ballooning costs spook investors The ASX 200 came out swinging on Tuesday, with the benchmark index jumping 1% by lunchtime in the east. Behind the rally was Wall Street, where jittery traders turned into bargain hunters as all three major indexes jumped over 1%. Back home, the good vibes got an extra kick from rising consumer confidence this morning. The ANZ-Roy Morgan index jumped to 90.6, its highest reading since the RBA started its rate-hiking crusade back in May 2022. That mood music flowed nicely into the market itself. All 11 sectors on the ASX were in the green by mid-morning, with tech, miners and consumer discretionary stocks leading the pack. Meanwhile, rare earth stocks such as Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) and Lynas (ASX:LYC) rallied after reports the Aussie government might pull a Trump-style move and set a floor price for rare earths. The Trump administration has already announced it was pushing a price floor to boost US rare earths production and cut reliance on China. The idea of a government stepping in to backstop the price of critical minerals is enough to get investors clicking 'buy'. Among large cap news, debt collector Credit Corp Group (ASX:CCP) absolutely stole the spotlight, flying 16% after posting a 16% jump in full-year profit to $94.1 million. Shipbuilder Austal (ASX:ASB) lifted 6% as it locked in a sovereign defence shipbuilding role with the federal government, and upgraded earnings guidance to not less than $100 million. The move came hot on the heels of news that Japan has scored a $10 billion deal to build three stealth frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. Meanwhile, Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) took a savage 20% beating after revealing that operating expenses had ballooned in the first half of FY25. The company, which recently switched to reporting in US dollars, flagged that OPEX (excluding R&D) will hit about 36% of revenue … which spooked the market. ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for August 5 : Security Description Last % Volume MktCap TKL Traka Resources 0.002 100% 63,225,692 $2,125,790 SRJ SRJ Technologies 0.006 50% 4,202,913 $2,778,987 HMD Heramed Limited 0.017 42% 16,673,347 $10,507,233 THB Thunderbird Resource 0.014 40% 7,657,666 $3,897,414 AUK Aumake Limited 0.004 33% 145,012 $9,070,076 EOS Electro Optic Sys. 3.930 33% 7,207,276 $569,208,692 M4M Macro Metals Limited 0.008 25% 17,774,500 $23,864,505 TRP Tissue Repair 0.350 25% 137,781 $16,930,156 SIS Simble Solutions 0.005 25% 1,000,000 $4,329,321 FAL Falconmetalsltd 0.598 22% 2,367,091 $87,003,080 MEG Megado Minerals Ltd 0.039 22% 243,144 $20,661,864 ALR Altairminerals 0.006 20% 41,540,415 $21,483,721 CUL Cullen Resources 0.006 20% 250,328 $3,467,009 FRX Flexiroam Limited 0.006 20% 81,250 $7,586,993 CCP Credit Corp Group 18.290 20% 786,540 $1,038,700,223 ZNC Zenith Minerals Ltd 0.037 19% 670,906 $16,413,120 WTM Waratah Minerals Ltd 0.470 19% 2,587,983 $92,237,345 TEM Tempest Minerals 0.007 17% 49,206 $6,610,770 TZL TZ Limited 0.055 15% 59,326 $13,469,477 RKN Reckon Limited 0.595 14% 531,134 $58,913,313 AZL Arizona Lithium Ltd 0.008 14% 2,118,093 $37,662,201 CTO Citigold Corp Ltd 0.004 14% 100,000 $10,500,000 RGL Riversgold 0.004 14% 150,440 $5,892,994 Software firm SRJ Technologies Group (ASX:SRJ) has locked in $1.38 million from institutional investors at $0.004 a pop, with strong backing from existing shareholders. The retail component set to raise a further $1.15 million when it opens on 8 August. Funds will help SRJ kick off a 50:50 joint venture in the Middle East worth over US$6 million. Electro Optic Systems (ASX:EOS) has landed a EUR 71.4 million (around $125 million) export order from a European NATO member for its new 100kW high-power laser weapon system, designed to take down drone swarms. It's the world's first export order for a laser of this class, with delivery set for 2025-2028. Macro Metals (ASX:M4M) has locked in $2 million from new and existing professional investors at 0.7 cents a share. Non-exec chair Tolga Kumova is chipping in $311k of that, pending shareholder approval in November. The funds will go towards exploration at the Turner iron ore project, technical services at the Extension iron project, and ramping up its mining services arm. Falcon Metals (ASX:FAL) has hit visible gold in multiple stacked veins at its Blue Moon prospect, just north of the 22Moz Bendigo Goldfield. The third wedge hole is drilling right down the fold hinge, and has struck quartz veining, sulphides, and what looks like a 7.6m saddle reef. Assays are pending. And, Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) is still licking its wounds after last week's brutal 44% crash, triggered by a cost and production downgrade at its Honeymoon uranium project. In a formal reply to the ASX today, Boss defended its disclosure timing, saying it only finalised the new guidance on July 27, one day before releasing it. Shares rose 5%. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT positive case report has highlighted the therapeutic potential of Argent BioPharma's (ASX:RGT) cannabinoid therapy CannEpil in treatment-resistant epilepsy. As Australia's digital economy rapidly expands, new research reveals critical digital skill gaps that could unlock $25 billion in productivity gains by 2035.
Sky News AU
39 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Penny Wong refuses to confirm whether she discussed Canberra woman charged with Chinese foreign interference with Beijing officials
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has refused to reveal whether she raised the case of a Chinese woman charged with foreign interference by the Australian Federal Police with Beijing officials. The AFP on Monday announced a Chinese woman had been charged with foreign interference over the alleged covert collection of sensitive information. The woman, an Australian permanent resident, was arrested and charged on Saturday after a series of police raids across Canberra. It is alleged the woman was acting on behalf of a public security bureau in China to secretly compile information about the Canberra Guan Yin Citta branch, a Buddhist sect that is outlawed in China. The woman is the third person to be charged under foreign interference laws that were rolled out in 2018, sparking concerns of rising tensions with China. Ms Wong on Tuesday morning repeatedly ruled out saying whether she or any government minister had broached the foreign interference case with Beijing officials and said Australia remained 'clear eyed' on China. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests, we've made that clear,' she told Today show host Karl Stefanovic. 'And I'd make this point, we've never said that dialogue eliminates differences. Clearly it doesn't. The Foreign Minister also declined to make comments on the case and insisted Australia had 'strong frameworks around foreign interference.' "I can't comment on this specific case that's before the courts. But good try," Ms Wong said. She did not explicitly say whether she trusted China when pressed to do so and reiterated that China would pursue its interests regardless of Australian commentary. 'I trust China to do what China thinks is in its interest, and I trust Australia to do what's in our interests,' Ms Wong said. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests; we've made that clear. 'The question is, how do we manage that? And dialogue and engagement is part of it. It doesn't eliminate differences, but it does enable us to put our views.' The case has sparked fears of newly inflamed tensions with China. AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt on Monday alluded to the threat of espionage on Australian shores. 'At a time of permanent regional contest, offenders will attempt to spy on individuals, groups and institutions in Australia', he said in an apparent reference to Beijing. The woman's name cannot be revealed due to a temporary suppression order which was granted after her lawyer James Maher argued her safety would be put in jeopardy if her identity was not concealed. She was refused bail by Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker, who agreed with prosecutors that the woman could be a potential flight risk. The offence of reckless foreign interference carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess, whose agency provided the AFP with the information to launch their investigation, last week warned about the rising cost of espionage to the Australian economy, which he said amounted to $12.5 billion a year. He said that ASIO had foiled 24 significant espionage and interference operations in the past three years alone.
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
'We're not alone': People in Gaza are reacting to 'best march' on Harbour Bridge
As tens of thousands of Australians crossed Sydney's Harbour Bridge on Sunday as part of a pro-Palestinian protest, locals in the war-torn region were watching. Some wrote messages of praise on social media, while others shared photos of children holding up posters expressing their gratitude for the support. Mohammed Hamad, who lives in Gaza, shared a photo of his daughter holding a thank-you sign. "We know what is happening outside and we are following everything. The best march I have seen is the bridge march," he told SBS News. Mohammed Hamad and his daughter Hira saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge protest from Gaza. Credit: X/ Mohammed Hamad NSW Police said initial estimates put the crowd at 90,000 while rally organisers, the Palestine Action Group, estimated the figure was closer to 300,000. 'We are not alone' Tamer Nahed, a web developer from north Gaza, wrote on social media that witnessing the "massive protest" gave his parents a sense of hope. "I showed them the massive protests that took place in Sydney. I told them, there are still people who care about us. We are not alone," he wrote on X. "We watched together as people stood in the rain, in this cold weather, chanting for us — for justice, for truth. And in my parents' eyes, I saw something that had been missing for a long time … I saw hope return, even if just a little." Nahed expressed his gratitude towards the protesters, writing that he often feels forgotten by the world when watching the news. "Thank you to everyone who marched today, to everyone who raised their voice for us. You didn't do it in vain. You gave us something that words can't fully capture," he wrote. More protests ahead, organisers say One of the organisers told reporters more protests are being planned, but that a repeat crossing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge won't happen anytime soon, according to the Australian Associated Press. Palestine Action Group's organiser Joshua Lees said on Sunday: "We want to build on this massive momentum we have now." "His stance is pretty clear and he's passed a raft of anti-protest legislation already," Lees said. "We're going to have to keep fighting for our rights to demonstrate." Speaking to ABC radio on Tuesday morning, Minns said he accepted the reason for the protest, but that "common sense has to play a role". "I'm not questioning the motives of many of the protesters. I accept that this is a protest that many people want to have," he said. "My argument here is I can't close down the central artery for a city as big as Sydney — even on a short-term basis, but even if we had a massive heads up to do it." 'An extraordinary march' Speaking about the protest, Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the anger and distress felt by some Australians. "That was an extraordinary march and I think it demonstrates what we all feel," she told the ABC's 7.30 program. "I know that Australians are feeling distressed, angry, upset, really horrified by what they're seeing in Gaza. I certainly share that distress. So do ministers in the government." The Palestine Action Group said it is planning a national day of action scheduled for 24 August, along with more protests.
