Canberra says restrictions will be lifted following a ‘rigorous science and risk-based assessment’.Australia has announced that it will lift tough restrictions on beef imports from the United States, removing measures singled out for criticism by US President Donald Trump.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the government would remove the biosecurity restrictions after a “rigorous science and risk-based assessment” found risks of disease were being managed on the US side.
“Australia stands for open and fair trade – our cattle industry has significantly benefitted from this,” Collins said in a statement.
Australia, which has some of the world’s toughest biosecurity measures, has until now not accepted beef from cattle raised in Canada and Mexico but slaughtered in the US.
Canberra lifted a ban on beef from cows raised and slaughtered in the US, introduced in response to an outbreak of mad cow disease, in 2019.
The move comes after Trump called out Australia’s restrictions on US beef in his April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement of sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries.
“Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef,” Trump said.
“They won’t take any of our beef,” Trump added.
“They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don’t blame them but we’re doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say.”
Australia, which e …
