President Donald Trump’s move to slap a 10 per cent tariff on most goods imported to the United States, as well as much higher levies on dozens of rivals and allies alike, has intensified a global trade war that threatens to stoke inflation and stall growth.

The sweeping penalties announced in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday immediately unleashed turbulence across world markets and drew condemnation from other leaders now facing the end of an era of trade liberalisation that has shaped the global order for decades.

Now facing 54 per cent tariffs on exports to the US, the world’s No.2 economy China vowed countermeasures, as did the European Union – Washington’s friends and foes united in criticism of measures they fear will deal a devastating blow to global trade.

“The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, adding the 27-member bloc was preparing to hit back if talks with Washington failed.

US Treasury Chief Scott Bessent earlier warned that any such retaliatory moves would only lead to escalation.

Among close US allies, the European Union was targeted with a 20 per cent rate, Japan with 24 per cent, South Korea with 25 per cent and Taiwan with 32 per cent.

Even some tiny territories and uninhabited islands in the Antarctic were hit by tariffs, according to a list posted by the White House on X.

The base tariffs go into effect on April 5 and the higher reciprocal rates on April 9.

Trump said the “reciprocal” tariffs were a response to duties and other non-tariff barriers put on US goods.

He argued the new levies will boost manufacturing jobs at home.

“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far,” Trump said on Wednesday.

Outside economists have warned that tariffs could slow the global economy, raise the risk of recession, and increase living costs for the average American family by thousands of dollars.

Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading partners, already face 25 per cent tariffs on many goods and will not face additional levies from Wednesday’s announcement.

Even some fellow Republicans have expressed concern about Trump’s aggressive trade policy.

Within hours of Wednesday’s announcement, the Senate voted 51-48 to approve legislation that would terminate Trump’s Canadian tariffs, with a handful of Republicans breaking with the president, although passage in the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives is unlikely.

Trump’s top economist, Stephen Miran, told Fox Business on Wednesday the tariffs would work out well for the US in the long run, even if they cause some initial disruption.

“Are there going to be short-term bumps as a result? Absolutely,” Miran, the chairman of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisors, said.

The reciprocal tariffs do not apply to certain goods, including copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, timber, gold, energy and “certain minerals that are not available in the United States,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Earlier in the day, the administration said a separate set of tariffs on auto imports that Trump announced last week will take effect starting on Thursday.

Trump previously imposed 25 per cent duties on steel and aluminium and extended them to nearly $US150 billion ($A240 billion) worth of downstream products.

Tariff concerns have already slowed manufacturing activity across the globe, while also spurring sales of autos and other imported products as consumers rush to make purchases before prices rise.

Australian exporters are bracing for impact after the US unleashed a second wave of tariffs on the world.

President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled sweeping 10 per cent tariffs on Australian goods sent to the US as part of his “liberation day” announcements on all American trading partners.

Though there are some exemptions for pharmaceuticals, critical minerals and other exports, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese maintained the tariffs were “totally unwarranted”.

“The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“Today’s decision will add to uncertainty in the global economy.”

Tariff levels varied depending on the country and while most were around 25 per cent, Australia has been hit less hard as its rates rest on the baseline.

But the Thursday morning announcement still wreaked financial havoc across the country.

Australian shares took a tumble, with the top-200 plummeting more than two per cent in early trade.

Appliance manufacturer Breville has told shareholders input costs will rise, with 90 per cent of its products manufactured in China and the US accounting for almost half of total sales.

Penfolds owner Treasury Wine Estates, fashion brand Cettire and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare have issued statements playing down the impacts of tariffs.

Mr Trump singled out Australia, partly because the government has banned imports on various American produce to prevent contamination and diseases.

Uncooked American beef, in particular, has been barred since a mad cow disease outbreak in 2003.

“Australians … they’re wonderful people, wonderful everything, but they ban American beef,” Mr 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.”

Australian beef has not been banned from the US, offering some relief to the domestic industry, but the Red Meat Advisory Council is still unhappy with the tariffs.

“It remains a disappointing decision,” council chair John McKillop said.

The US was Australia’s largest red meat export market in 2024 and was worth more than $6 billion, according to the council.

US consumers could be forced to pay more since Australian beef is in an estimated six billion hamburgers eaten every year in America.

Australia’s other biggest exports to the US are financial services, gold, sheep and goat meat, transportation services and vaccines.

While Australia has ruled out reciprocal tariffs, Mr Albanese gave assurances it would not just bend to the US.

Neither will the government undermine its media bargaining code or weaken biosecurity measures.

Instead, Australia will strengthen its anti-dumping regime to protect domestic steel, aluminium and manufacturing to combat unfair competition and provide $50 million to affected sectors, particularly bodies such as the National Farmers Federation.

The government has already earmarked $20 million for its “buy Australian” campaign and will prioritise local businesses for procurement and contracts.

Meanwhile, Australia’s trade relationships will be diversified, with the government recently signing a new trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates and continuing to pursue an agreement with the European Union.

The White House published a list that also specifies 10 per cent tariffs on the Heard and McDonald Islands, a barren and uninhabited Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, and on Christmas Island, the former home to Australia’s offshore immigration detention centres.

Meanwhile Norfolk Island, another Australian territory in the Pacific Ocean, was slugged with a 29 per cent tariff even though it largely exports about $400,000 in leather shoes, $250,000 in seeds, and $175,000 in vehicle parts, according to the same list.

China is urging the United States to immediately cancel its latest tariffs and vowed countermeasures to safeguard its own interests after President Donald Trump declared sweeping levies on all US trading partners around the world.

The US move disregarded the balance of interests reached in multilateral trade negotiations over the years and the fact that it had long benefited greatly from international trade, the Chinese commerce ministry said.

“China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,” the ministry said on Thursday, as the world’s largest economies look set to spiral deeper into a trade war that stands to upend global supply chains.

Trump on Wednesday announced China would be hit with a 34 per cent tariff, on top of the 20 per cent he imposed earlier in 2025, bringing the total new levies to 54 per cent and close to the 60 per cent figure he had threatened while on the campaign trail.

Chinese exporters, as with those from every other economy, will face a 10 per cent baseline tariff, as part of the new 34 per cent levy, on almost all goods shipped to the world’s largest consumer economy from Saturday before the remaining, higher “reciprocal tariffs” take effect from April 9.

Trump also signed an executive order closing a trade loophole known as “de minimis” that has allowed low-value packages from China and Hong Kong to enter the US duty-free.

Trump had ordered the US Trade Representative to determine whether China was living up to its commitments under the 2020 “Phase 1” US-China trade agreement by April 1.

The deal had required China to increase purchases of US exports by $US200 billion ($A320 billion) over a two-year period, but Beijing failed to meet its targets when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

China bought $US153 billion in US goods in 2017, before the trade war began, Chinese customs data shows, and that figure rose to $US164 billion in 2024.

US President Donald Trump’s universal tariffs are a major blow to the world economy and the European Union is prepared to respond with countermeasures if talks with Washington fail, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says.

“We are already finalising the first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel,” she said in a statement read out in Uzbek city Samarkand on Thursday, before an EU-Central Asia partnership summit.

“And we’re now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail.”

She did not provide any details of future EU measures.

The EU plans to impose counter tariffs on up to 26 billion euros ($A45 billion) of US goods this month in response to US steel and aluminium tariffs that took effect on March 12.

Trump on Wednesday unveiled a 10 per cent minimum tariff on most goods imported to the United States – with a higher 20 per cent rate for the European Union – kicking into high gear a global trade war that threatens to drive up inflation and stall US and worldwide economic growth.

Von der Leyen said she deeply regretted the US move and warned of “immense consequences” for the global economy that “will be dire for millions of people”.

Rising protectionism would result in groceries, transport and medicines costing more, she said, “And this is hurting, in particular, the most vulnerable citizens.”

Von der Leyen said she agreed with Trump that others had taken unfair advantage of global trade rules and was ready to support efforts to reform them.

Von der Leyen acknowledged that the world trading system has “serious deficiencies” and said the EU was ready to negotiate with the US but also was prepared to respond with countermeasures.

with AP

Australian pharmaceutical companies will not be directly hit by Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

The president on Thursday morning Australian time unveiled 10 per cent tariffs on all Australian goods sent to the United States as part his “Liberation Day” announcements.

But the nation’s pharmaceutical industry representative Medicines Australia has received confirmation there will be no tariffs on Australian pharmaceuticals exported to the US.

Mr Trump’s executive order hinted pharmaceuticals, alongside copper, semiconductors, lumber and critical minerals could be exempt from the levies, though the Australian sector did not receive official confirmation until Thursday afternoon.

The carve-out will come as a relief after speculation that a pharmaceutical tariff could undermine Australia’s medicine subsidy scheme.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier maintained the broader tariffs were “totally unwarranted”.

“The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nations’ partnership,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“This is not the act of a friend.”

Tariff levels varied depending on the country and while most were around 25 per cent, Australia has been hit less hard with its rates resting on the baseline.

Mr Trump slapped the same tariffs on the Heard and McDonald Islands, a barren and uninhabited Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, and on Christmas Island, the former home to Australia’s offshore immigration detention centres.

But Norfolk Island, another Australian territory in the Pacific Ocean, has been slugged with a 29 per cent tariff even though it largely exports about $400,000 in leather shoes, $250,000 in seeds, and $175,000 in vehicle parts.

During his White House speech, Mr Trump singled out Australian beef partly because the government has banned imports on various American produce including raw pork, pears and apples to prevent contamination and diseases.

Uncooked American beef, in particular, has been barred since a mad cow disease outbreak in 2003.

“Australians … they’re wonderful people, wonderful everything, but they ban American beef,” Mr Trump said at the White House.

“Yet we imported $US3 billion ($A4.8 billion) of Australian beef from them just last year alone. 

“They won’t take any of our beef, they don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers.”

Australian beef has not been banned from the US, offering some relief to the domestic industry, but the Red Meat Advisory Council is unhappy with the decision announced on Thursday morning, Australian time.

“It remains a disappointing decision from the US,” council chair John McKillop confirmed.

US consumers could be among the worst hit by the tariffs as Australian beef is in an estimated six billion hamburgers eaten every year in America.

While Australia has ruled out reciprocal tariffs, Mr Albanese gave assurances it would not just bend to the US.

Neither will the government Americanise its health system, undermine its media bargaining code or weaken its biosecurity measures.

Instead, Australia will strengthen its anti-dumping regime to protect domestic steel, aluminium and manufacturing to combat unfair competition.

Labor will also provide $50 million to affected sectors, particularly bodies such as the National Farmers Federation.

The government has already earmarked $20 million for its “buy Australian” campaign and will prioritise local businesses for procurement and contracts.

Australia’s trade relationships will be diversified, with the government recently signing a new trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates and continuing to pursue an agreement with the European Union.

The nation’s biggest exports to the US are financial services, gold, sheep and goat meat, transportation services and vaccines, as well as beef.

The US was Australia’s largest red meat export market in 2024 and was worth more than $6 billion – or about one-third of the nation’s total global exports – according to the advisory council.

Australians are being encouraged to buy locally after Donald Trump imposed far-reaching tariffs on exports to the US market.

Meat and minerals are among the industries affected by the blanket 10 per cent tariff on all Australian goods as part of the US president’s so-called “Liberation Day”.

While a 10 per cent tariff was the minimum imposed on countries, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the measure had “no basis in logic”.

He reinforced calls for consumers to buy Australian products, looking to leverage a local-made campaign ahead of the May 3 federal election.

“We will promote buying Australian is one way that we can respond. We can be proud of our products,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Melbourne.

“We can’t control what the US administration determines, but we can engage with them. This is a decision that they have made. It’s one which we think, importantly, is not in the interests of the United States.”

The imposition of the tariffs was “not the act of a friend”, he added.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the tariff decision was a bad day for the nation and not what Australia deserved.

However, he said the prime minister had failed in securing a carve-out from the tariffs.

“If the prime minister had leveraged (critical minerals and defence) within the relationship before now, I think we would find ourselves in a different position today,” he told reporters in Perth.

“We would have had greater connection and greater communication with the White House, and we demonstrated that only a few years ago.”

But Mr Albanese said the tariff situation was not a time for partisanship.

“What I’d like is for Peter Dutton to stand up for Australia and to back Australia’s national interest,” he said.

“His behaviour … is consistent with last time around on aluminium and steel, where Mr Dutton came out and was critical of Australia, not critical of the United States, for imposing these tariffs even though they were universal and across the board.”

It comes as Mr Albanese met with Australian golfing great Greg Norman, who is in the orbit of Mr Trump, on Wednesday night in Melbourne.

“We are using every asset at our disposal: ministers, people in departments, our embassy in Washington DC, our business community links and our other links as well to advance Australia’s national interests,” he said.

The opposition leader said Mr Albanese had been “missing in action” in negotiating with the US president.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said the tariff decision was further proof the federal government needed to get out of the AUKUS deal with the US, which would provide Australia with nuclear submarines.

“Forget Trump’s “Liberation Day”, today should be Australia’s liberation day – when we finally liberate ourselves from being shackled too closely to Trump,” he said on social media.

The prime minister started the day campaigning in Melbourne, visiting a pharmacy in the marginal seat of Wills, before flying to the Hunter Valley in NSW.

Meanwhile, Mr Dutton has made a visit to Western Australia for the first time during the campaign, a state where the coalition needs to make inroads following large swings against it in 2022.

It comes amid news the leaders will go head-to-head in a debate on the ABC in western Sydney on April 16, the second debate of the campaign.

Australia has recorded a rare trade surplus with the United States for the second consecutive month, on the same day as President Donald Trump announced 10 per cent tariffs on Australian exports.

The federal government had pointed to the nation’s historic trade deficit with the US as a reason why it should be spared from Mr Trump’s trade sanctions.

But February’s $1.1 billion surplus reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday, following a $1.7 billion surplus in January, undermines those claims.

It is unlikely a continuation to Australia’s historical deficit would have made a difference, given no countries were spared a minimum 10 per cent tariff, trade deficit or no.

The surplus was driven by a surge in non-monetary gold exports, as importers looked to stockpile gold holdings ahead of the tariffs, said AMP economist My Bui.

Australia has recorded consistent trade deficits with the US since records began in the 1980s and that is expected to resume to resume as the temporary export jump unwinds.

“It’s nothing structural in terms of trade with the US,” Ms Bui told AAP.

“In terms of the overall trade balance, the surplus has narrowed from a peak of about $15 billion per month in 2022 to about $5 billion per month.”

Ms Bui expects it to keep narrowing as geopolitical risks increase and Australian consumer demand picks up, lifting imports.

Tariffs were singled out as a risk to Australia’s financial stability by the Reserve Bank in its bi-annual review of Australia’s financial health, but not because of their direct impact to Australian industry.

Ongoing uncertainty surrounding the tariffs could have a “chilling effect” on business investment and household spending, suppressing economic growth.

That could lead to share price volatility, given already high risk premiums.

Australia is also vulnerable to turbulence in China’s financial system, the RBA found, given the further 34 per cent tariffs imposed by Mr Trump on Australia’s largest trading partner.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers ordered Treasury to conduct new modelling on the impact of the tariffs on Australia and promised to release it publicly once complete.

“We know that we won’t be immune from these tariffs, even though the US is only about five per cent of our export markets,” he told reporters in Adelaide.

Ms Bui estimated the direct hit to the Australian economy from the tariffs would be about 0.2 per cent of GDP, although certain industries like steel, pharmaceuticals and beef would feel the pain more acutely.

Following the tariffs announcement, the rates market slashed the odds for a rate cut at the RBA’s next meeting in May, now predicting an 85 per cent chance of a 25-basis point cut.

The reason: the tariffs went far beyond what the market had been expecting, said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.

“Inflation is rapidly becoming yesterday’s problem,” he said.

“The RBA are expected to shift their attention to shoring up growth.”

A further 50 basis points of cuts are priced in by November, which would leave the cash rate at 3.35 per cent by year’s end.

Building homes on greenfield sites on city fringes may be inexpensive initially, but a warming climate brings higher lifetime costs for homebuyers.

“The big point to make is it’s really cheap to build houses in places that really are climate exposed,” Committee for Sydney chief executive officer Eamon Waterford said at a climate and nature event on Wednesday.

Locations prone to floods, high temperatures and poorly connected to services such as schools and shops tend to be the least expensive for new dwellings.

“But that is only looking at the up-front costs. The lifetime costs of the person that has to live in the house are much, much higher,” Mr Waterford told the City of Sydney CityTalks event.

Expect to pay more for transport, air-conditioning and insurance in these suburbs, he said.

“The answer is building dense, resilient communities in places that are cool and well-connected, where people can use public transport, there’s lots and lots of trees, and access to water.”

The talk took place on the backdrop of a federal election campaign dominated by economic concerns.

Carbon Market Institute-commissioned Essential polling suggests the majority of voters link cost-of-living pressures to climate change, with two-thirds agreeing more frequent and severe fires and floods are pushing up insurance and grocery prices.

Clean Energy Investor Group chief executive officer Richie Merzian said Australians could also expect cheaper power bills with more renewables in the grid. 

Ageing and unreliable coal power stations and expensive gas were still in the system and largely responsible for higher prices, he said at the event.

“If you took renewables out of the Australian grid last year, that’s both utility large scale and rooftop, then people would be paying up to $417 more on their power bills,” Mr Merzian said.

“The best part about renewable is all the cost comes from the build. Once you build it, that margin cost is pretty much free.”

Climate Council pre-election auditing of policy platforms has unsurprisingly identified the Greens as the top performer on climate.  

With a firm commitment to phase out new coal and gas, an ambition to reach net zero in a decade, and 50 cent bus and train fares, the minor party earnt itself a “strong” overall rating.

Robust renewables, clean transport and green manufacturing policies scored the Labor government points on its climate agenda, but it was marked down by the ongoing expansion of the fossil fuel sector during its three-year term.

Earning a “right direction” label in the pre-election scorecard, the Anthony Albanese-led federal government outperformed the Liberal-National coalition.

No 2030 emissions-reduction target nor commitment to a 2035 version weighed on the Peter Dutton-led opposition’s overall result, as did its advocacy for more coal and gas projects. 

The party is also expected to dump financial penalties for car makers failing to meet emissions standards.

Chief Climate Councillor Tim Flannery said progress had been made in the 47th parliament. 

Almost 44 per cent of electricity in the main grid from clean energy sources represented a “massive turnaround”.

“We’re almost halfway there … if we see just a continuation of what we have at the moment, for the next three years, basically, it’ll be done,” Professor Flannery said.

“It’s a watershed election for climate, this one.”

In the Pacific, some of the world’s poorest economies are reeling after discovering they too will be subject to tariffs from Donald Trump’s White House.

The US President unveiled global tariffs on imported goods on Thursday (AEDT), which he labelled “Liberation Day” for the American economy.

Fiji has been levied at 32 per cent, Vanuatu at 23 per cent, Nauru at 30 per cent, and bizarrely, the tiny Australian external territory of Norfolk Island was hit with a 29 per cent tariff.

That will mean the favourite bottled water of many Americans – Fiji Water – should get a lot more expensive.

Water makes up two-thirds of Fijian exports to the US, including the eponymous brand.

The USA is Fiji’s number one export market, with more than half a billion dollars worth of Fijian goods heading across the Pacific in 2024.

Should the tariffs lead to lower take-up of Fiji Water or other goods in the US, it will be a huge hit to the Fijian economy.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is yet to comment on the tax slug.

Other nations – including Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia – have been given a 10 per cent tariff.

For some countries, this will hurt more than others.

For instance, Tonga counts the US as its second-biggest export market, for Samoa, it is third, and Vanuatu, it is fifth.

However Solomon Islands, with a GDP of almost $A3 billion, exported goods worth just $A1.75 million to the US in 2024, making it the 17th biggest export market and of little significance.

Vanuatu is not as exposed to the US economy as Fiji, but is another nation to be hit with a higher tariff rate, making its products less competitive.

In New Zealand, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the Kiwi rate of 10 per cent should be seen as a success from a recent diplomatic mission.

“We went to Washington DC to get the best possible result for New Zealand in the circumstances, by making strong, genuine, in-person connections with the US Administration,” he wrote on social media.

“The purpose of our mission has been achieved. Indeed, New Zealand companies, who were fearing much worse, are well positioned compared to exporters from other countries.”

Trade Minister Todd McClay called the imposition of tariffs “a significant development” but was looking on the sunny side.

“Tariffs have consequences for the global economy – impacting inflation, demand, currency stability, and economic growth,” he said.

“While these tariffs create additional costs that will largely be passed on to consumers, New Zealand is in a stronger position than many other countries, some who are facing higher tariff barriers.

“We will be talking with the (Trump) administration to get more information, and our exporters to better understand the impact this announcement will have.”

Australian beef will remain on American menus while copping the brunt of US tariffs.

President Donald Trump has singled out the product in announcing a blanket 10 per cent tariff on all Australian goods exports to the US.

The tariff is lower than those levied on other exporters such as the European Union, offering some relief to the domestic industry, but the Red Meat Advisory Council is unhappy with the decision announced on Thursday morning, Australian time.

“There is no ban on Australian red meat and our trade with the US will continue,” council chair John McKillop confirmed.

“However, it remains a disappointing decision from the US.”

US consumers could be among the worst hit by the tariffs as Australian beef is in an estimated six billion hamburgers eaten every year in America.

Americans would have to use higher-value cuts of beef in their burgers without Australia providing its lean beef to be blended with fatty trim, Mr McKillop warned, pushing up prices.

Cattle Australia described the tariffs as an own-goal for US consumers and cattle producers.

“US beef producers can’t meet American domestic demand and Australia is the preferred supplier to fill the shortfall of high-quality grass-fed steaks,” chief executive Chris Parker said.

All levies will take effect from midnight US time after Mr Trump laid out his “liberation day” plan at the White House.

While the tariffs on Australian goods were expected, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said they were “totally unwarranted”.

“The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nations’ partnership,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

“This is not the act of a friend.”

The US tariffs vary depending on country and while most were around 25 per cent, Australia’s rate is on the 10 per cent baseline.

Mr Trump slapped the same tariffs on the Heard and McDonald Islands, a barren and uninhabited Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, and on Christmas Island, the former home to Australia’s offshore immigration detention centres.

But Norfolk Island, another Australian territory in the Pacific Ocean, has been slugged with a 29 per cent tariff even though it only exports about $400,000 in leather shoes and $175,000 in vehicle parts.

While Australia has ruled out reciprocal tariffs, Mr Albanese gave assurances it would not just bend to the US.

Neither will the government Americanise its health system, undermine its media bargaining code or weaken its biosecurity measures – which impose trade barriers on US beef and other American produce to prevent disease and contamination.

Instead, Australia will strengthen its anti-dumping regime to protect domestic steel, aluminium and manufacturing to combat unfair competition.

Labor will also provide $50 million to affected sectors, particularly bodies such as the National Farmers Federation.

Australia has already earmarked $20 million for its “buy Australian” campaign, and the government will prioritise local businesses for procurement and contracts.

Australia’s trade relationships will be diversified, with the government recently signing a new trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates and continuing to pursue an agreement with the European Union.

The nation’s biggest exports to the US are financial services, gold, sheep and goat meat, transportation services and vaccines, as well as beef.

“Australians … they’re wonderful people, wonderful everything, but they ban American beef,” Mr Trump said at the White House.

“Yet we imported $US3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. 

“They won’t take any of our beef, they don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers.”

The US was Australia’s largest red meat export market in 2024 and was worth more than $6 billion, according to the advisory council.