Australia farmers call for review as government green lights beef imports from US

While cattle farmers in the United States celebrate another market opening for beef in Australia, their counterparts down under are not so jovial.

There has been a surge of positive reactions to President Trump securing the deal and ending over 20 years of red-tape which prevented U.S. beef hitting the Australian market.

A ban on U.S. beef entering Australia was introduced during 2003 after Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in the U.S. beef herd.

Back in 2019 Australia did allow U.S. beef to start entering its market again. However, as that also included meat from Canadian and Mexican bred cattle, which was integrated into the U.S. sector, the decision was taken to refuse all beef from the U.S.

BEEF BAN LIFTED

Following a scientific review, the U.S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has now announced that for the first time in 20 years, Australia will accept shipments of fresh and frozen U.S. beef.

NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein, said, “For 20 years U.S. beef was denied access to Australia while Australia exported $29 billion of beef to U.S. consumers.

“The lack of two-way, science-based trade has been a sticking point for many years, and we are pleased that President Trump has successfully opened the Australian market to American beef.

“NCBA has spent decades working to correct this trade imbalance and we are proud to have a president who is willing to fight for American farmers and ranchers, expand export markets, and fix unfair trade agreements across the world.”

It was back in 2005 that the U.S. Australia free trade deal took effect, with the goal of U.S. beef being sold to Australia. However, via one way or another, Australia has been accused of “countless tactics to delay implementation of the agreement” which has prevented any shipments from landing.

Even though the quantities of U.S. beef being sent to Australia this time may not be huge, farmers there are disappointed with the government and have called for an immediate independent review.

This latest deal will include beef processed in the U.S. from cattle bred in Canada or Mexico, which the Aussies say may not meet welfare standards.

CALLING FOR A REVIEW

Cattle Australia has called for an independent scientific panel to review the federal government’s decision to lift biosecurity restrictions on U.S. beef.

CA Chief Executive Officer Will Evans, said while the Minister and the Department of Agriculture have provided assurance that cattle born and raised in either Mexico and Canada before slaughter in the U.S. will comply with Australia’s standards for biosecurity and food safety, the highest level of caution must be exercised to protect Australia’s beef industry.

He said, “Cattle Australia has consistently said biosecurity assessments must be based on the best available scientific evidence and must be equivalent.

“While we have been given assurances, and the Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins said she has full faith in the robustness of her department’s biosecurity assessment and the ability of her officials to have undertaken this assessment appropriately, we believe an independent scientific assessment is a sensible and prudent way forward. This must occur before imports commence.

“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,” he said.

Meanwhile U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said, “American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world.

“It’s absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years.”