The Beef Over Beef: A Dispute About Tariffs and Protectionism, but Not the Way You Imagine It

Are opaque regulations the new front in global protectionism?

President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

News Analysis

The sweeping 10 percent “Liberation Day” tariffs on Australian exports—notably its beef trade—is not just a dispute about trade barriers, but a deeper ideological clash that has been the bone of contention between the Trump administration and governments around the world.