Beef imports singled out in Trump tariff announcement

Wide-ranging tariffs of 10 percent have been imposed on Australia by American president Donald Trump and the pain will be felt particularly hard by Tasmania’s beef industry.

The tariffs were revealed in a speech at the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday on what Trump dubbed “Liberation Day”.

He singled out Australia’s beef industry saying “Australia bans - and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything - but they ban American beef”.

"Yet we imported $(US)3 billion ($4.8 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 and, you know, I don't blame them but we're doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight, I would say."

While the comment has been interpreted by some to mean America will ban Australian beef imports, there has, at the time of printing, been no official announcement to this effect.

Australia has had a ban on importing US beef since 2003, after the US experienced an outbreak of mad cow disease.

The 10 percent tariff is likely to backfire on American consumers, with the move likely to send the price of a McDonald’s cheeseburger soaring.

In Mr Trump’s view, the United States is being “ripped off” by countries with higher tariff rates on US-made products or countries with which the US runs a trade deficit.

While acknowledging the historic strong relationship with the US, Mr Albanese said “this is not the act of a friend”.

“These tariffs are not unexpected but they are totally unwarranted,” he said.

“Our government will not be seeking to impose reciprocal tariffs. We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth.”

He has promised, if re-elected, to provide $50 million to affected sectors, particularly through peak bodies such as the National Farmers Federation, to secure and grow new markets for their world class products.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he will urgently convene a round table with impacted Tasmanian exporters to work through the changes.

TasFarmers, the peak body for Tasmanian farmers, says Australia must hold steady in the face of new tariffs targeting Australian beef and wine, urging leaders to take a measured response rather than resorting to knee-jerk reactions.

President of TasFarmers, Ian Sauer said the situation needed sensible analysis and there was no need add to the reactionary commentary.

“The first thing we need to do is cool our jets, it’s election season in Australia, and everyone wants to look tough. Retaliation or rash statements won’t help Australian farmers - it never has.

“With tariffs now imposed on Australian beef exports to the U.S., producers' concerns are mounting over potential price drops and broader market instability.

"While beef exports remain a significant part of Australia’s trade relationship with the U.S., we believe the focus should be on long-term strategy, not short-term panic.

"Tasmanian farmers, the immediate concern is uncertainty, which could lead to lower red meat prices and a ripple effect across agricultural markets. However, industry representatives stress the importance of focusing on new opportunities rather than dwelling on roadblocks.

"The reality is that we export a lot to America, but we are also a net importer of US goods. If you step back and look at it, criticisms about Australia’s biosecurity measures in fact gives us a competitive edge. We’ve built a strong global reputation because our standards are based on science, not politics,”

"We can’t stress enough the importance of focusing on new opportunities rather than dwelling on roadblocks.

“The smart move now is to analyse the situation, gather facts, and identify alternative markets. There’s already talk about increasing beef exports to China, and that’s just one option,” Mr Sauer said.

“We wrote to the Prime Minister months ago raising concerns about tariffs, and we’ve been working closely with the government on this. We’ve had a response, and we’ll keep pressing for action that benefits our producers.”

“This is the time for team Tasmania, and agriculture in Australia to stand together. It not a time for shadow boxing, political point-scoring, just smart, proactive work to keep our industry strong.”