Courtney Gould – ABC News
Australia has lifted the remaining biosecurity restrictions on US beef, in a move that could be used by the government to negotiate for removal of trade tariffs.
A blanket ban on US beef imports to Australia was lifted in 2019, but restrictions remained on Canadian and Mexican cattle slaughtered in America.
The government has been undertaking a review of those biosecurity rules, after the Trump administration requested they be lifted.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed that review was complete and the government would expand access to include beef sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which is legally imported and slaughtered in the US.
But she insisted the government would "never compromise" biosecurity.
"The US Beef Imports Review has undergone a rigorous science and risk-based assessment over the past decade," she said in a statement.
"The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks."
The US has previously raised biosecurity rules as one of a list of trade grievances with Australia.
