Latest news with #FisheriesandForestry
ABC News
6 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
What does lifting trade restrictions on US beef mean for Australia?
It might not be on our plates or menus just yet, but US beef has been a hot topic of conversation across the nation after this week's decision to lift import restrictions that had been in place for more than two decades. Australia banned beef imports from the US in 2003 after the fatal neurological disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was discovered in American cattle. The blanket ban was lifted in 2019, however restrictions remained on beef that was sourced from Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the US, amid concerns it could carry the disease. "The Americans were unwilling to … do the traceability work to make sure that beef that was coming to Australia wasn't actually rebranded from somewhere else," veterinarian and former NSW Farmers Association president, James Jackson, said. "We don't want foot and mouth disease in this country, we don't want our consumers to eat beef and get Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is the disease you get from eating cattle with mad cow disease." While some in the industry were optimistic that lifting the restrictions would open up trade opportunities for Australian producers, others raised concerns that Australia's biosecurity could be compromised. The federal government said the move was the result of a decade-long biosecurity review that found more robust movement controls had been introduced in the US. "The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks," Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said. "The Albanese Labor government will never compromise on biosecurity." Nationals leader David Littleproud questioned the timing of the decision, saying it looked as though it was a trade to appease US President Donald Trump. The biosecurity restrictions on beef imports from the United States were one of the key grievances that led the Trump administration to impose tariffs on Australia. Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop said while the decision may have been pushed through "slightly quicker" than expected, he was confident it was the result of a long-running assessment. Global AgriTrends analyst Simon Quilty said the risk of US beef imports introducing diseases to Australia was now much lower. "They have improved their traceability methods within America and I think, in all honesty, that the degree of risk is significantly low," he said. Mr McKillop said any risk would also be mitigated by the limited amount of beef Australia was likely to import from the US. "They have the lowest beef herd in 70 years in the US at the moment [due to drought]," he said. "The most [beef] that was ever brought in, and this was pre-BSE … was 210 tonnes … in contrast to the 395,000 tonnes we exported to the US last year." Mr McKillop said the US was also experiencing near-record beef and cattle prices, and it was unlikely Australians would want to pay high prices for their product. While the amount of beef coming into Australia from the US may be limited, Mr Jackson said there could be a market for it. "There may be some lines [of product] come into Australia, people who want to sell American beef on a restaurant menu or something like that," he said. Mr Jackson said Australia must be open to accepting American beef if it wanted to maintain a trade relationship with the US. "Part of a trade deal is that you're willing to take product from other countries," he said. "Are we happy with Australian consumers eating American beef? Well, probably we're not that happy, but the reality is that if you trade, you've got to be happy to take other people's product as well." The trade restriction on US beef has been a key grievance for the Trump administration, which placed a 10 per cent tariff on all Australian imports earlier this year. Professor Ben Lyons, from the University of Southern Queensland's Rural Economies Centre of Excellence, said it was difficult to know how the move would impact that tariff. "Nothing would surprise us at the moment because that's the new paradigm under the Trump administration — full of surprises," he said. Dr Lyons said he was confident the Australian beef industry would maintain a strong export market, regardless of US-imposed tariffs. "If past performance is the best indicator of the future, we always seem to find a way with our export markets," he said. "Even the announcement of this tariff on Australian beef at the beginning of the year hasn't really had any economic impact as yet on our exports. "I think we should just carry on calmly and do what we do best. I don't really see this as being a long-term issue for Australian agriculture."
eNCA
6 days ago
- Business
- eNCA
Australia lifts trade barriers on US beef
CANBERRA - Australia said it would lift trade barriers on beef from the United States, removing a major point of friction between Canberra and the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump singled out Australia as he unveiled his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April, accusing the close ally of banning American meat while cashing in on exports to the United States. Australia's stringent biosecurity rules block imports of cattle slaughtered in the United States, but born in Canada or Mexico. Threatened with 10 percent tariffs on beef shipped to the United States, one of its largest red meat markets, Australia has now dropped these barriers. Agriculture minister Julie Collins said the United States had adopted new quality controls that soothed Australia's worries. "The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks," she said in a statement. "Australia stands for open and fair trade -- our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this." Australia suspended US beef imports in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease, a fatal and infectious condition that slowly eats away at the nervous system of cattle. Most of these restrictions were lifted in 2019, although some barriers remained on cattle slaughtered in American abattoirs but born elsewhere. Trump said Australians were "wonderful people" but accused them of banning US beef while exporting billions of dollars worth of meat to America. "They don't take any of our beef," he complained in April. Almost five percent of all the beef eaten in America is Australian, and that largely goes into burgers. In the first three weeks of July, Australia shipped almost 25,000 tonnes of beef and veal to the United States, official figures show.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
'Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip': industry reacts to US beef backflip
A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing". A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing". A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing". A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing".
Business Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Australia lifts trade barriers on US beef
[SYDNEY] Australia said on Thursday it would lift trade barriers on beef from the United States, removing a major point of friction between Canberra and the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump singled out Australia as he unveiled his 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, accusing the close ally of banning American meat while cashing in on exports to the United States. Australia's stringent biosecurity rules block imports of cattle slaughtered in the United States, but born in Canada or Mexico. Threatened with 10 per cent tariffs on beef shipped to the United States, one of its largest red meat markets, Australia has now dropped these barriers. Agriculture minister Julie Collins said the United States had adopted new quality controls that soothed Australia's worries. 'The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks,' she said in a statement. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Australia stands for open and fair trade - our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this.' Australia suspended US beef imports in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease, a fatal and infectious condition that slowly eats away at the nervous system of cattle. Most of these restrictions were lifted in 2019, although some barriers remained on cattle slaughtered in American abattoirs but born elsewhere. Trump said Australians were 'wonderful people' but accused them of banning US beef while exporting billions of dollars worth of meat to America. 'They don't take any of our beef,' he complained in April. 'Won't let us' US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick - one of the architects behind the US tariff blitz - had also namechecked Australia. 'Our farmers are blocked from selling almost anywhere. Europe won't let us sell beef, Australia won't let us sell beef,' Lutnick said earlier this year. Almost five per cent of all the beef eaten in America is Australian, and that largely goes into burgers. In the first three weeks of July, Australia shipped almost 25,000 tonnes of beef and veal to the United States, official figures show. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been unusually frank in his condemnation of Trump's trade war against allies and foes alike. 'This is not the act of a friend,' Albanese said in April after the first wave of tariff announcements. 'These tariffs are not unexpected, but let me be clear, they are totally unwarranted,' he said. 'This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship.' AFP
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Australia Lifts Trade Barriers On US Beef
Australia said Thursday it would lift trade barriers on beef from the United States, removing a major point of friction between Canberra and the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump singled out Australia as he unveiled his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April, accusing the close ally of banning American meat while cashing in on exports to the United States. Australia's stringent biosecurity rules block imports of cattle slaughtered in the United States, but born in Canada or Mexico. Threatened with 10 percent tariffs on beef shipped to the United States, one of its largest red meat markets, Australia has now dropped these barriers. Agriculture minister Julie Collins said the United States had adopted new quality controls that soothed Australia's worries. "The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks," she said in a statement. "Australia stands for open and fair trade -- our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this." Australia suspended US beef imports in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease, a fatal and infectious condition that slowly eats away at the nervous system of cattle. Most of these restrictions were lifted in 2019, although some barriers remained on cattle slaughtered in American abattoirs but born elsewhere. Trump said Australians were "wonderful people" but accused them of banning US beef while exporting billions of dollars worth of meat to America. "They don't take any of our beef," he complained in April. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick -- one of the architects behind the US tariff blitz -- had also namechecked Australia. "Our farmers are blocked from selling almost anywhere. Europe won't let us sell beef, Australia won't let us sell beef," Lutnick said earlier this year. Almost five percent of all the beef eaten in America is Australian, and that largely goes into burgers. In the first three weeks of July, Australia shipped almost 25,000 tonnes of beef and veal to the United States, official figures show. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been unusually frank in his condemnation of Trump's trade war against allies and foes alike. "This is not the act of a friend," Albanese said in April after the first wave of tariff announcements. "These tariffs are not unexpected, but let me be clear, they are totally unwarranted," he said. "This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship."
