Cattle industry demands review of US beef decision

Australia’s leading cattle lobby has called for an independent scientific panel review to assess the government’s changes to biosecurity restrictions.

THURSDAY, 2PM

Australian cattle producers are backing calls for an independent scientific panel review of the federal government’s decision to remove biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports.

It comes as the US beef sector celebrates the decision as a trade access win for US president Donald Trump and American ranchers.

Cattle Australia chief executive officer Will Evans said while the Albanese government had given the industry assurances that cattle born and raised in either Mexico and Canada before slaughter in the US would comply with Australia’s standards for biosecurity and food safety, “the highest level of caution must be exercised to protect Australia’s beef industry”.

“We believe an independent scientific assessment is a sensible and prudent way forward,” Mr Evans said.

“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.”

Cattle Australia chief executive officer Will Evans.

Meanwhile, the US government is gloating over Australia’s move to open the door to more US beef, with a US official calling previous biosecurity requirements imposed by Australia “absurd” and “non-scientific”.

Issuing a statement today titled “make agriculture great again trade wins”, US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the major trade breakthrough gave greater access to US beef producers selling to Australia.

“American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world,” Ms Rollins said.

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

“Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines.

“This is yet another example of the kind of market access the president (Trump) negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way.”

EARLIER:

Australia has opened the door to more US beef imports as the federal government lifts biosecurity restrictions on the trade.

While beef that originates from the US can already be imported, the shock decision, announced Thursday morning, means beef sourced from Mexico and Canada but processed in the US can now also be exported to Australia.

Australia banned US beef imports in 2003 following an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. Access was reinstated in 2019, subject to meeting strict biosecurity conditions.

Those strict requirements have come under fire from US farmers and President Donald Trump in recent months, with the beef “ban” cited as one of the key reasons for the Trump Administration’s tariffs on Australia.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins stated the government would “never compromise on biosecurity” and the decision was based on a rigorous beef imports review and risk-based assessment over the past decade.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Speaking on Sky News, Trade Minister Don Farrell said there was nothing suspicious about the timing of the announcement following the tariffs, with the review a 10-year process.

“If we want to export our beef overseas then we have to accept that other countries will want to import their beef into Australia,” he said.

“We have decided it’s appropriate now, based on all the biosecurity rules and tests, that we should allow US beef to come back into Australia.”

The opposition has requested a briefing from the government around the new arrangements.

“There are a lot of questions to be answered, we want to know the protocols haven’t been weakened,” Deputy Nationals Leader Kevin Hogan told Sky News.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said he wanted to “see the science” the government had based the decision on, adding disease risks were “not just about animal welfare. This is about human welfare”.

He called for an independent panel review of the science behind the decision to “give confidence to everybody about how that science was predicated”.

Cattle Australia chief executive Will Evans said industry had not been fully briefed on the decision yet.

“Cattle Australia continues to advocate that biosecurity assessments must be based on the best available scientific evidence,” Mr Evans said.

“The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry has provided assurance that cattle born and raised in either Mexico and Canada before slaughter in the US, can comply with our standards of biosecurity and food safety.

“We will be taking the time to read through the report in detail and ensure it aligns with our long held position that any imports of beef from the US must align and be equivalent with the conditions that the US places on Australian beef imports.”

Mr Evans said the biosecurity assessment should not be linked to trade negotiations.

But he said imports of beef from the US were not likely to impact the local market.

According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, annual US beef exports to Australia have occasionally been as low as 13 tonnes. Between 1995 and 2005, the US send an average 66 tonnes per year, totalling 754 tonnes over that decade.

FARMING SECTOR RESPONDS

National Farmers’ Federation released a nuanced statement this morning with president David Jochinke saying the government had “assured industry that they have undertaken the standard, science-based review process to protect Australia’s biosecurity”.

He said Australia’s relationship with the US was “deep and multifaceted, underpinned by the Australia-United States free trade agreement”.

“Free and fair trade relies on the reciprocal recognition of trusted standards and processes between trading partners,” Mr Jochinke said.

Australian Meat Industry Council chief executive Tim Ryan said the import risk assessment process had been underway since 2019, when the US requested expansion of the scope of its access beyond just US cattle.

He said while AMIC would review the final report in detail, AMIC “supports scientific, risk-based approaches to technical trade assessments”.

“Australia’s red meat sector is deeply integrated with global markets and relies on science-based decisions from trading partners to maintain export access,” Mr Ryan said.

“Science must remain the cornerstone of technical market access decisions.

“A rules-based approach strengthens our international credibility and ensures that Australia’s food safety and animal health systems continue to be among the best in the world.”

He said the progress on the request for increased US beef access “demonstrates Australia’s consistency in applying internationally recognised standards, which is vital to the long-term sustainability of our sector”.

Holbrook, NSW, beef producer Marc Greening said he was “all for free trade” but was concerned there had been political pressure to make the decision to allow more US beef into Australia.

“If Australia preaches free trade, we can’t have any non-tariff trade barriers,” Mr Greening said.

“On the other hand, I’m not sure about the US cattle traceability system which is split 51 ways across 51 states and I don’t know about the rigour of that system.”

Mr Greening he was confident that DAFF would conduct a rigorous scientific assessment.

“What I am sceptical about is what political pressure has been placed to influence the final decision,” he said.

Midfield Group general manager Dean McKenna.

However, one of Australia’s leading locally owned meat processing companies and a major exporter, the Midfield Group, backed the decision by the Albanese government.

General manager Dean McKenna told The Weekly Times that Australia’s move was “fantastic” as it was likely to reduce the risk Mr Trump “may get excited or emotional and put a ban (into the US) on our lamb, that would have a bigger impact than (what he had done regarding tariffs) on beef”.

“I don’t see it as one bit negative,” Mr McKenna said, adding he believed very little US beef would end up being sold in Australia and that he did not believe the move would heighten biosecurity threats.

“Common sense has prevailed,” Mr McKenna said.

Mr McKenna said while his comments were likely to upset some farmers, he said farmers would be more upset “if they ban us from (exporting) to the US – lambs wouldn’t be making the money they are”.