US beef export figures to Australia defy Trump talk

The US has sent just 263 tonnes of beef to Australia at most in the past 30 years — despite American farmers and the White House calling it a major trade issue.

The highest volume of beef exported from the US to Australia over the past 30 years was just 263 tonnes in a year.

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.

Despite these small volumes, US President Donald Trump and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have cited US beef exports to Australia as a key issue in ongoing trade tensions.

In a speech delivered at the White House in Washington DC last Thursday, President Trump announced plans for new tariffs and singled out US beef exports to Australia in his speech.

“Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef, yet we imported $3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone,” President Trump said.

“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 what? I don’t blame them, but we’re doing the same thing right now.”

The US is one of a small number of countries permitted to export beef and beef products to Australia as long as they meet biosecurity requirements.

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

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said that in 2024, Australia imported 3300 tonnes of beef, veal and beef products from various countries —worth an estimated $35 million — and that the US remains eligible to export to Australia.

Countries currently approved to export fresh beef and beef products to Australia include the US, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands and Vanuatu — provided they meet all biosecurity and food safety requirements.

“To help protect Australia’s unique environment from unwanted pests and diseases, the department regulates products imported into Australia under the Biosecurity Act 2015,” the spokesman said.

“The importation of some products is, by law, subject to certain biosecurity import conditions. “Some products are not permitted entry while other products are only allowed into Australia subject to meeting import conditions that mitigate the biosecurity risk.”

Meat and Livestock Australia managing director Michael Crowley confirmed there are no bans on US beef entering Australia — or on Australian beef going to the US.

“Australia has completed science-based biosecurity and food safety assessments that would allow the trade of US beef from cattle born and raised in the US,” Mr Crowley said.

Meat and Livestock Australia managing director Michael Crowley.

“However, the US has also asked for access to Australia for beef from cattle raised in Mexico or Canada and processed and exported from the US.

“This revised request is undergoing the normal Australian science-based assessment to protect our biosecurity.”