•  Trump cabinet secretary slaps Australia
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By STEPHEN JOHNSON, ECONOMICS REPORTER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 23:44 BST, 3 April 2025 | Updated: 00:11 BST, 4 April 2025

A senior member of Donald Trump’s cabinet has blasted Australia’s biosecurity rules after the Americans slapped 10 per cent tariffs on Australia.

Billionaire Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Australia’s quarantining system was effectively a barrier to American beef exporters.

‘Our farmers are blocked from selling almost anywhere – 1.4billion people in India and we can’t sell them corn; Europe won’t let us sell beef; Australia won’t let us sell beef,’ he told CNN.

Australia, like the US, has biosecurity rules to keep out disease.

But Mr Lutnick, who advises Trump on trade policy, argued this amounted to protectionism. 

‘They want to just protect, they want to say, “Oh, what, the seeds are different”,’ he said.

‘C’mon, this is nonsense; this is all nonsense. What happens is they block our markets – when we opened those markets, our volumes grow, our farmers will thrive and the price of groceries will come down.’

Beef, Australia’s biggest export to the United States in 2024, now incurs a 10 per cent tariff, even though the Americans had been importing a product they had struggled to produce themselves in sufficient quantities.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Australia's quarantining system amounted to a barrier to American beef exporters

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Australia’s quarantining system amounted to a barrier to American beef exporters

The US is battling a drought, which has diminished cattle herds and restricted beef production to the fattier, grain-fed variety. 

Australia’s superior grass-fed beef is needed to make hamburgers.

That kind of meat making up 96 per cent of Australia’s exports to the US last year.

Imposing a tariff on Australian beef exports would be more likely to push up food prices in the United States rather than bring prices down, if their local supply is diminished.

South American beef producing nations Argentina, Brazil and Chile, who are also battling a drought, have been hit with a 10 per cent tariff, like Australia. 

Beef, Australia's biggest export to the United States in 2024, now incurs a 10 per cent tariff, even though the Americans had been importing a product they had struggled to produce themselves (pictured is a herd in south-west Victoria)

Beef, Australia’s biggest export to the United States in 2024, now incurs a 10 per cent tariff, even though the Americans had been importing a product they had struggled to produce themselves (pictured is a herd in south-west Victoria)

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Key Trump ally launches scathing attack on Australia after President smashed the nation with 10% tariffs

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