The speed of Australia’s decision to lift restrictions on US beef has raised eyebrows in the cattle industry, breeding calls for an independent, scientific review.
The federal government has revealed Australia will allow access to US beef that had been raised in Canada or Mexico but processed in America.
The government has faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to ease restrictions as it seeks an exemption from wide-ranging tariffs.
Its announcement was made early on Thursday morning, less than a day before industry groups were briefed and hours before the full details were made public on the government’s website.
While Australia’s cattle industry groups have remained generally unperturbed, there have been calls for an independent, scientific panel to review the government’s risk assessment.
“We remain concerned at the speed of this – we were a little surprised,” veterinarian and Cattle Australia senior adviser Chris Parker told AAP.
“There’s some bits and pieces that we need to get a very clear understanding of, but we don’t have at this stage due to the speed of this announcement.
“It’s all well and good to say, ‘We branded a cow or a steer, we put a … tag in there’, but what’s the system that actually underpins that?”
The US has been able to send beef to Australia since 2019.
Beef raised in Canada or Mexico was barred because of concerns the latter’s livestock tracking system could inadvertently lead producers to import product from parts of the continent where there were disease outbreaks.
Thursday’s decision was made only after the US introduced more robust movement controls in recent months, allowing for improved identification and tracing throughout the supply chain.
“We have not compromised on biosecurity,” Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told reporters in Canberra.
“(The department) is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks.”
But tuberculosis and brucellosis remain significant concerns, Dr Parker said.
Australia is free of the diseases, but both can spread among cows and humans, which means the government must be assured its expanded supply chain is free and safe from them.
The US also implements strict controls over Australian imports, such as regular facility audits and government officials undergoing final inspections, and Dr Parker says Australia should have equivalent arrangements for American beef.
“I’m not saying that US product is not safe – what I’m saying is they have some things we don’t and we need appropriate processes that assure us the supply chain remains safe,” Dr Parker said.
The Nationals have echoed calls for an independent review after its leader David Littleproud accused the government of trading away biosecurity protocols to “appease Donald Trump”.
For months, the government has considered using US beef as a bargaining chip in its attempts to carve out an exemption from Mr Trump’s tariffs.
Asked whether tariffs had influenced Thursday’s announcement, Ms Collins insisted the decision followed a decade-long review process, saying she had kept the industry up to date since the US requested expanded market access in 2020.
Australian Meat Industry Council CEO Tim Ryan said the move was not a surprise, while Cattle Australia chief executive Will Evans acknowledged the importance of maintaining beef export access to the US.
Some have raised worries US beef could affect Australia’s domestic market, but Mr Evans said the imports were unlikely to have an impact.
The US could not even meet its own needs, he said, and remained one of the main export markets for Australian beef.
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke L Rollins congratulated Mr Trump after Australia’s beef deal.
“Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sideline,” Ms Rollins said.
“This is yet another example of the kind of market access the president negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way.”
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