U.S. President Donald Trump has removed tariffs on Australian beef.
Meat is one of Australia’s biggest exports to the U.S.
The order follows concerns about persistently high grocery prices in the U.S.
The Australian Government welcomed the change, but said it will continue to advocate for the removal of tariffs still in place on other products, including steel and aluminium.
Background
In April 2025, Trump announced widespread tariffs, which included a blanket 10% levy imposed on all trade entering the U.S.
A tariff is a tax on imports. It’s applied to foreign-made goods brought into another country and paid by the importer.
The goal of tariffs is to encourage a country’s companies and citizens to buy locally-produced goods, boosting industrial activity. Trump has also claimed trading partners had “ripped off” America.
Australia
When announcing the tariffs, Trump directly referred to Australia’s restriction on American raw beef exports.
“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,” Trump said.
The Government later confirmed Australian beef would be subject to a 10% tariff, but not an outright ban.
In response, Australia eased its restrictions on U.S. beef imports in July, removing biosecurity measures that had been in place since 2003 due to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (aka “mad cow disease”).
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
Despite the 10% tariff imposed in April, Australian beef exports to the U.S. jumped 17% this year to more than 370,000 tonnes, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.
The U.S. has applied steeper tariffs on rival suppliers, including a 50% duty on Brazilian beef.
Changes
Trump signed an executive order on Friday (local time) removing the 10% baseline tariff on beef.
The decision also lifts duties on coffee, tea, tropical fruit, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and other goods.
The order applies to all countries affected by the baseline tariff, however the total duty will still vary between nations.
The White House said it was reversing tariffs on products the U.S. doesn’t grow or produce “in sufficient quantities”.
It comes after mounting pressure over rising grocery costs in America.
For example, the average price of a pound of beef mince reached $US6.32 in September (about $AU22 a kilo), up 13% from last year. The average price for all raw steaks was $US12.26 per pound ($42/kg), an 11% rise on last year.
Response
Meat and Livestock Australia CEO Michael Crowley welcomed the change, calling the U.S. a “valuable and long-term trading partner”.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the ABC Trump’s move is “a good thing for Australian beef producers,” while Trade Minister Don Farrell reiterated the Government’s position that “tariffs on any Australian products are unjustified.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his Government would keep advocating for “genuine reciprocal tariffs, which would be zero.”
