Australia's PM says easing of curbs on US beef not prompted by Trump

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday (July 27) that a decision to ease rules on US beef imports was not prompted by US President Donald Trump.

Trump this week said the US would sell "so much" beef to Australia after Canberra announced the relaxation of restrictions, potentially smoothing trade talks with Washington.

In place since 2003, the curbs were due to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, which can kill cattle as well as people who eat infected beef.

When asked on Sunday if the easing had anything to do with Trump, Albanese said "No, this has been a process that has been there for 10 years, the review process".

"This wasn't a political decision," Albanese said in remarks on Australian Broadcasting Corp television, adding that Trump had not raised the issue with him in a phone call.

The comments come after US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called the easing a win for Trump. In April, Trump singled out the beef trade disparity with Australia after Australia's beef exports to the US surged last year, reaching A$4 (S$3.36 billion) billion amid a slump in US beef production.

By contrast, Australia's agriculture minister said the rules were relaxed after a "rigorous science and risk-based assessment" concluded that US measures to monitor and control cattle movement were effectively managing biosecurity risks.

News of Australia changing its policy was first reported by the Australian Financial Review. The report said Australia would use the easing of rules to argue its case for the US to wind back 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium and Trump's threat to impose a 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals.

The National Party, part of Australia's conservative opposition coalition, has said that "biosecurity should not be political" and called for an independent scientific panel to review the decision.

A loosening of beef import rules is not expected to boost US shipments significantly because Australia is a major beef producer and exporter whose prices are much lower, according to analysts.

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Last year, Australia shipped almost 400,000 metric tons of beef worth $2.9 billion (S$3.7 billion) to the United States, with just 269 tons of US product moving the other way.