The lifting of a ban on U.S. beef imports shortly after President Donald Trump demanded it is just a coincidence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists.
Trump claimed credit for Australia’s decision to ease its biosecurity restrictions on America—a key grievance used by the White House to justify placing tariffs on Australia.
But the two were not linked, Albanese claimed.
Asked on ABC’s Insiders program if it was just a coincidence, he said “absolutely.”
“There has been an independent review, it took 10 years. The decision has been made and it was made independently, at arm’s length of any political decision,” Albanese said on Sunday.
He pointed out Trump had himself stated he was unaware that Australia was going to make the decision until after the fact.
Trump also did not raise it directly with him in phone conversations, although he had made his displeasure over the ban publicly known, Albanese said.
For his part, the U.S. president seemed to think the move was part of an Australian bid to broker a deal on tariffs.
“Australia was great. They opened up beef yesterday for the first time ever,” Trump said on Friday, U.S. time.
“We asked them to do it, and all of a sudden we got word that they would, so obviously they’re looking to do something.”
The Agriculture Department last week wrapped up a 10-year review process into biosecurity restrictions on cattle born in Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the U.S., which had meant an effective ban on all U.S. beef because of traceability limitations.
The government says the review found the U.S. had improved traceability controls, reducing the risk of diseased cattle making their way into Australia.
But the cattle industry has called for an independent review into the review before imports are allowed to commence.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash questioned why the government has not released the strict protocols it assured the industry it would be applying to U.S. imports.
“Because the protocols need to be released so the Australian public can satisfy themselves that ... the U.S. beef is safe, it is disease free, it is traceable. That is incredibly important,” she told Sky News Australia.
Record-low U.S. herd numbers as well as the relative superiority in quality and price of Australian beef mean it is unlikely that large volumes of imported beef will flood the Australian market as a result of the decision.
