Australian farmers angry over beef imports in ‘figleaf’ for Trump

Australia’s lifting of its remaining biosecurity restrictions on US beef, allowing imports processed in America from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, has brought a mix of anger, frustration and shoulder-shrugging from Australian graziers.

The roots of the ban date back to 2003, following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as mad cow disease) in US cattle. While the ban was lifted in 2019, restrictions continued on cattle sourced in Canada, Mexico or elsewhere and processed in the US, due to ongoing BSE concerns.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed the lifting of the ban on July 23, emphasising that “strengthened control measures” in US cattle traceability and surveillance after a scientific government review provide sufficient confidence to reopen the market.

But it is this so-called traceability — of where cattle have been raised and what diseases or pests they may have been exposed to — that is the heart of concerns of many Australian farmers, for which biosecurity rules in Australia and traceability requirements are a point of national pride.

“Shame on the Australian government for caving to Trump and letting in that toxic swill — who knows what they pass off as beef?”, one NSW farmer told Crikey. “Most of the meat processed in the US comes from South and Central America with little biosecurity controls.”

Another farmer said, “Who knows what the fuck is in their meat. Mad cow? Rabies? We don’t want it. If it were any good, we would be buying it already.”

He added that the Meat & Livestock Association (MLA) — for which the government provides funding for its research and development investments — being “dependent on the government teet” is why it has welcomed it.

One farmer described the government as “gutless chickenshits” for not leveraging Australian resources in what was clearly a global trade war. “They hold so many cards with iron ore and coal. They couldn’t build their warships without iron ore, and we want to bend over on beef!”

The media and critics have also focused on the Albanese government “kowtowing” to tariff-happy Trump, and whether Trade Minister Don Farrell gilded the lily on who said what to whom. Trump was very pointed in raising Australian beef when first introducing his on-again-off-again ”Invasion Day” tariffs in April.

Australia remains overwhelmingly the dominant party in the beef relationship. In 2024, Australia exported roughly 400,000  tonnes of beef to the US, valued at about A$4 billion. American exports to Australia, meanwhile, reached only 269  tonnes — the highest recorded but still insignificant in scale. Australia is a major beef exporter, sending out close to 75% of its beef production in 2024, with top buyers in Japan, South Korea and China.

The decision to lift the ban follows what the government has described as a “decade‑long scientific review”, which has taken place amid ongoing trade tensions. But its decision should come as no surprise. A draft was released last year, before Trump was reelected. Indeed, Trump is just the latest US president whose administration pushed Australia to allow all US beef back into Australia after an initial ban in 2003 and partial lifting.

Along with the Nationals, Cattle Australia cautiously welcomed the move while also calling for an independent review to back up the government report.

“There is simply too much at stake when it comes to Australia’s world-leading biosecurity status not to get a second opinion,” Cattle Australia chief executive Will Evans said.

Beef trade tilted in Australia’s favour

Australian beef continues to offer consumers a significant price advantage over US imports, even as biosecurity restrictions ease. At the farmgate, Australian heavy steers are fetching around A$3.70 per kilogram live weight while US-fed cattle are trading near US$2.30 per pound — about A$5 per kilogram.

Retail prices show an even starker divide, with beef prices soaring in the US due to shrinking cattle herds, drought conditions and increased demand. In contrast, Australian retail beef typically retails for about A$24 per kilogram. So despite the new access for US beef, American imports are unlikely to compete on price with local products.

“Look, mate, it’s just a fig leaf. Albo gets a win, but really it doesn’t mean anything much. We are getting the best prices for cattle at the moment than we have for a while,” one mid-west NSW farmer told Crikey.

So although the US ban is lifted, few practical changes are expected. Volume will remain low, largely due to tight import quotas and negligible retail demand. Australia’s decision to lift biosecurity-based curbs on U.S. beef exports may ease diplomatic tensions and serve US trade interests, but is expected to have minimal effect on the domestic beef market.

In Trump’s world, appearances and gestures often outweigh substance, with symbolic wins prized. The Albanese government’s move to lift the final US beef ban fits neatly into this dynamic — providing Trump with a headline victory to tout, regardless of the decade-long scientific review underpinning the decision.

With the right report in hand at the right moment, Albanese continues to manage the bilateral relationship arguably as well as he can. And despite the noise from some farmers, others are more sanguine.

“I haven’t given it much thought, to be honest. I am too focused on feeding the heifers about to drop calves,” one drought-affected farmer said.