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News.com.au
24-07-2025
- 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.'
Sydney Morning Herald
24-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Will lifting the US beef ban put more foreign meat on menus?
The US is the biggest buyer of Australian beef, although in recent years China has claimed the No.1 spot. Traditionally, Japan is frequently the No.1 importer of Australian beef. Australia exports 70 per cent of the beef it produces, to more than 100 countries around the world. The beef industry in Australia is worth $75 billion. How much beef do we get from the US each year? Australia imports no beef from the US. The change announced today will allow beef back in. But don't hold your breath waiting for a surge of US imports. 'I don't believe there will be any major volumes flowing from the US to Australia', said Rabobank senior analyst Angus Gidley-Baird. 'US exports volumes this year in total are declining at the moment, because they have lower beef supplies available and higher beef prices, making them less competitive.' In time, Gidley-Baird said: 'There is opportunity for more select food service operators who might want to put it on the menu as a one-item as something special.' An example would be a US-style steakhouse that wants to feature American beef. Does this mean our stores and restaurants will start selling US beef? Given the pricing, Gidley-Baird thinks it would be unlikely. US beef costs the same if not more than high-quality Australian beef. McDonald's Australia uses 100 per cent Australian beef which it plans to continue to do. Costco, Hungry Jacks, Grill'd, Betty's Burgers, Boss Burger have been contacted for comment. Littleproud warns that US beef prices will fall one day, creating a path for US imports. Is Australian beef better than US beef? Australian beef tends to be less grain-fed than American beef. About 95 per cent of the US cattle 'continue to be finished, or fattened, on grain for the last 160 to 180 days of life' involving feedlots, or an animal feeding operation a US researcher has said. In Australia, the share of cattle in feedlots is closer to 35-40 per cent, with the steer spending more time in pastures, 'which does lend itself to a leaner product and slightly different flavour,' said Gidley-Baird. Loading Does the Coalition support the changes? Coalition partners the Nationals are seeking a scientific review of the decision behind the change. Cattle Australia, which supports grass-fed beef producers, also supports a review. 'There's a lot of community concern around this,' CEO of Cattle Australia Will Evans said. 'There is a lot of consumer concern and a lot of industry concern around this.' Is US beef safe? Will there be transparency? Evans said his group had not taken issue so much with the science that the government used, but the regime of detailed safety checks that the Australian industry will be able to hold the US to. Evans said if and when US cattle is exported to Australia, it's on a producer-by-producer basis rather than for the entire industry. Currently, Japan and Australia's beef industry have in place a series of standards, including detailed inspections of each other's farms, to ensure mutual trust among the exporters. Evans said that there appears to be 'some kind of politicisation of this specific topic' but from the perspective of the Australian industry: 'This is an issue that we've known about for quite some time that predates President Trump. This is something that obviously got elevated by his commentary this year, but it was an existing issue.'
The Age
24-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Will lifting the US beef ban put more foreign meat on menus?
The US is the biggest buyer of Australian beef, although in recent years China has claimed the No.1 spot. Traditionally, Japan is frequently the No.1 importer of Australian beef. Australia exports 70 per cent of the beef it produces, to more than 100 countries around the world. The beef industry in Australia is worth $75 billion. How much beef do we get from the US each year? Australia imports no beef from the US. The change announced today will allow beef back in. But don't hold your breath waiting for a surge of US imports. 'I don't believe there will be any major volumes flowing from the US to Australia', said Rabobank senior analyst Angus Gidley-Baird. 'US exports volumes this year in total are declining at the moment, because they have lower beef supplies available and higher beef prices, making them less competitive.' In time, Gidley-Baird said: 'There is opportunity for more select food service operators who might want to put it on the menu as a one-item as something special.' An example would be a US-style steakhouse that wants to feature American beef. Does this mean our stores and restaurants will start selling US beef? Given the pricing, Gidley-Baird thinks it would be unlikely. US beef costs the same if not more than high-quality Australian beef. McDonald's Australia uses 100 per cent Australian beef which it plans to continue to do. Costco, Hungry Jacks, Grill'd, Betty's Burgers, Boss Burger have been contacted for comment. Littleproud warns that US beef prices will fall one day, creating a path for US imports. Is Australian beef better than US beef? Australian beef tends to be less grain-fed than American beef. About 95 per cent of the US cattle 'continue to be finished, or fattened, on grain for the last 160 to 180 days of life' involving feedlots, or an animal feeding operation a US researcher has said. In Australia, the share of cattle in feedlots is closer to 35-40 per cent, with the steer spending more time in pastures, 'which does lend itself to a leaner product and slightly different flavour,' said Gidley-Baird. Loading Does the Coalition support the changes? Coalition partners the Nationals are seeking a scientific review of the decision behind the change. Cattle Australia, which supports grass-fed beef producers, also supports a review. 'There's a lot of community concern around this,' CEO of Cattle Australia Will Evans said. 'There is a lot of consumer concern and a lot of industry concern around this.' Is US beef safe? Will there be transparency? Evans said his group had not taken issue so much with the science that the government used, but the regime of detailed safety checks that the Australian industry will be able to hold the US to. Evans said if and when US cattle is exported to Australia, it's on a producer-by-producer basis rather than for the entire industry. Currently, Japan and Australia's beef industry have in place a series of standards, including detailed inspections of each other's farms, to ensure mutual trust among the exporters. Evans said that there appears to be 'some kind of politicisation of this specific topic' but from the perspective of the Australian industry: 'This is an issue that we've known about for quite some time that predates President Trump. This is something that obviously got elevated by his commentary this year, but it was an existing issue.'
News18
24-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Australia to reduce US beef import restrictions denounced by Trump as ban
Melbourne, Jul 24 (AP) Australia will reduce restrictions on US beef imports after US President Donald Trump criticised what he described as an Australian ban on the meat, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said. Collins said Thursday that relaxing the restrictions designed to keep Australia free of mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE, among its cattle herds would not compromise biosecurity. 'Australia stands for open and free trade — our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this," Collins said in a statement. Australia has allowed imports of beef grown in the United States since 2019. But Australia has not allowed imports from the US of beef sourced from Canada or Mexico because of the disease risk. But the US has recently introduced additional movement controls that identify and trace all cattle from Mexico and Canada to their farms of origin. US cattle import controls satisfy Australian authorities Australian authorities were 'satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks," Collins said. 'Australia bans — and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef," Trump told reporters then. 'Yet we imported USD 3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now," Trump added. Lawmaker fears appeasing Trump endangers Australian cattle industry Opposition lawmaker David Littleproud suspected the government was endangering Australia's cattle industry to appease Trump. 'I want to see the science and it should be predicated on science. I'm suspicious of the speed at which this has been done," Littleproud told reporters. 'We need to give confidence to the industry, but also to you (the public): this is not just about animal welfare, this is about human welfare, this is about BSE potentially coming into this country and having a human impact, so I think it's important the government's very transparent about the science and I don't think it's even beyond the question to have an independent panel review that science to give confidence to everybody," he added. Around 70 per cent of Australian beef is exported. Producers fear that export market would vanish overnight if diseases including mad cow or foot-and-mouth disease infected Australian cattle. Will Evans, chief executive of Cattle Australia who represents more than 52,000 grass-fed beef producers across the nation, said he was confident the agriculture department had taken a cautious approach toward US imports. 'The department's undertaken a technical scientific assessment and we have to put faith in them. They've made this assessment themselves. They've said: 'We've looked at this, we've looked at the best science, this is a decision that we feel comfortable with,'" Evans told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'When you have a 75 billion (Australian dollar, USD 50 billion) industry relying on them not making this mistake, I'm sure they've been very cautious in their decision-making," he added. US beef prices rise because of drought and a domestic cattle shortage Beef prices have been rising in the US due to factors that include drought and shrinking domestic herd numbers. The average price of a pound of ground beef in the US rose to USD 6.12 in June, up nearly 12 per cent from a year ago, according to US government data. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose 8 per cent to USD 11.49 per pound. Australia's opposition to any US tariffs will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secures his first face-to-face meeting with Trump. Albanese and Trump were to hold a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada last month, but the US president left early. top videos View all Albanese expects the pair will meet this year, although no date has been announced. The two countries have had a bilateral free trade deal for 20 years and the US has maintained a trade surplus with Australia for decades. (AP) GRS GRS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Boston Globe
24-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Australia to reduce US beef import restrictions denounced by Trump as a ban
Australia has allowed imports of beef grown in the United States since 2019. But Australia has not allowed imports from the U.S. of beef sourced from Canada or Mexico because of the disease risk. But the U.S. has recently introduced additional movement controls that identify and trace all cattle from Mexico and Canada to their farms of origin. Advertisement US cattle import controls satisfy Australian authorities Australian authorities were 'satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the U.S. effectively manage biosecurity risks,' Collins said. The timing of the new, reduced restrictions has not been finalized. Trump attacked Australian import restrictions on U.S. beef when he announced in April that tariffs of at least 10% would be placed on Australian imports, with steel and aluminum facing a 50% tariff. 'Australia bans — and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef," Trump told reporters then. 'Yet we imported $3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now,' Trump added. Advertisement Lawmaker fears appeasing Trump endangers Australian cattle industry Opposition lawmaker David Littleproud suspected the government was endangering Australia's cattle industry to appease Trump. 'I want to see the science and it should be predicated on science. I'm suspicious of the speed at which this has been done,' Littleproud told reporters. 'We need to give confidence to the industry, but also to you (the public): this is not just about animal welfare, this is about human welfare, this is about BSE potentially coming into this country and having a human impact, so I think it's important the government's very transparent about the science and I don't think it's even beyond the question to have an independent panel review that science to give confidence to everybody,' he added. Around 70% of Australian beef is exported. Producers fear that export market would vanish overnight if diseases including mad cow or foot-and-mouth disease infected Australian cattle. Will Evans, chief executive of Cattle Australia who represents more than 52,000 grass-fed beef producers across the nation, said he was confident the agriculture department had taken a cautious approach toward U.S. imports. 'The department's undertaken a technical scientific assessment and we have to put faith in them. They've made this assessment themselves. They've said: 'We've looked at this, we've looked at the best science, this is a decision that we feel comfortable with,'' Evans told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'When you have a 75 billion (Australian dollar, $50 billion) industry relying on them not making this mistake, I'm sure they've been very cautious in their decision-making,' he added. US beef prices rise because of drought and a domestic cattle shortage Beef prices have been rising in the U.S. due to factors that include drought and shrinking domestic herd numbers. Advertisement The average price of a pound of ground beef in the U.S. 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. Australia's opposition to any U.S. tariffs will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secures his first face-to-face meeting with Trump. Albanese and Trump were to hold a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada last month, but the U.S. president left early. Albanese expects the pair will meet this year, although no date has been announced. The two countries have had a bilateral free trade deal for 20 years and the U.S. has maintained a trade surplus with Australia for decades.
