Australia on Sunday offered cautious approval of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to remove tariffs on beef, while urging Washington to exempt Australian goods from all duties.
اضافة اعلان
Trump on Friday eliminated tariffs on more than 200 food products, including beef, amid consumer concerns over rising U.S. grocery prices.
In 2024, Australia became the largest exporter of red meat to the United States, offering lower prices and leaner meat varieties that the U.S. market lacks.
“We welcome the lifting of these tariffs. It’s good for Australian beef producers,” said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in remarks to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his Labor government would continue to press for “genuine reciprocal tariffs, which would be zero.”
Trump describes some of the tariffs he imposes on goods shipped to the U.S. as “reciprocal,” based on the size of America’s trade deficit with a given country.
“We strongly believe—and will continue advocating—that tariff rates should reach zero,” Albanese said during televised comments from Melbourne.
Foreign Minister Wong did not say whether the center-left government now expects Trump to revoke the 50% tariffs he imposed on Australian steel and aluminum imports.
“We will continue to defend our position,” she added.
In April, Trump highlighted what he saw as an imbalance in beef trade with Australia after its beef exports to the U.S. rose last year to 4 billion Australian dollars (USD 2.64 billion), while American beef production declined.
Months after Trump’s remarks, Australia announced it would ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports.
Since 1990, Australia has exported between 150,000 and 400,000 tonnes of beef annually to the United States, where it remains highly popular among fast-food chains.
Reuters
