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Australia Welcomes Trump’s Removal of Beef Tariffs, Pushes for Full Tariff-Free Trade
Australia has applauded U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to lift tariffs on beef but is urging Washington to remove all remaining tariffs on Australian goods, including steel and aluminum. As Australia becomes America’s largest red meat supplier in 2024, Canberra continues to push for zero-tariff, reciprocal trade.
Australia welcomes Trump’s removal of beef tariffs, renews call for broader relief
Australia on Sunday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to roll back tariffs on beef, while also pressing Washington to eliminate all remaining duties on Australian exports.
Trump announced on Friday that the United States would lift tariffs on more than 200 food items—including beef—amid growing public concern over rising grocery prices. In 2024, Australia is set to become the largest exporter of red meat to the U.S., supplying lower-cost, leaner cuts that remain in high demand.
“This is a positive development for Australian beef producers,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong told ABC Television.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, however, stressed that his Labor government would continue advocating for “genuine reciprocal tariffs—meaning zero tariffs.”
Some of the tariffs Trump has imposed are described by him as “reciprocal,” calculated in part using the size of America’s goods trade deficit with individual countries.
“We firmly believe in zero tariffs, and we will continue to argue for them,” Albanese said in his televised remarks from Melbourne.
Wong did not clarify whether the government now expects Trump to withdraw the 50% tariffs he placed on Australian steel and aluminium imports—duties the Labor government has previously lobbied against.
“We will stand by our position,” she added.
In April, Trump had highlighted what he described as imbalances in the beef trade with Australia, which exports more than A$4 billion (US$2.61 billion) worth of beef to the U.S. annually. Months after those remarks, Australia announced it would ease long-standing restrictions on U.S. beef imports, originally imposed in 2003 over concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
Australia has exported between 150,000 and 400,000 tonnes of beef to the U.S. each year since 1990, with its products widely used across major fast-food chains.
($1 = 1.5300 Australian dollars)
