Trump targets to ban Australian beef imports to US

Former US President Donald Trump has taken aim at Australian beef imports, announcing a 10% tariff as part of his "Liberation Day" trade plan.

Speaking at a news conference from the White House, Trump questioned why the US was importing $3 billion worth of Australian beef each year while Australia refuses to take American beef.

"They won’t take any of our beef," he said. "They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers—and you know, I don’t blame them. Bute’re doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight."

While other countries like China face much steeper tariffs, Australia will still be hit with the new 10% baseline tariff on all exports to the US.

Trump justified the move by claiming trade deficits were no longer just an economic issue, but a national security threat.

"Chronic trade deficits threaten our security and our very way of life," he said, adding that medicine, technology, and ship manufacturing were also areas where the US had become too reliant on imports.

Why Doesn’t Australia Import American Beef?

Trump's frustration with Australian beef policy isn’t new. The country has had a ban on uncooked American beef for over 20 years due to concerns over mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

This disease, which can be fatal to both cattle and humans, spreads when cows consume infected tissue—something that can happen in the US, where cattle feed sometimes contains ground-up parts of other cows.

Given the serious health risks, Australia has kept the ban in place despite pressure from US trade officials over the years.

A Blow to the Burger Industry?

The Australian meat industry isn’t happy.

John McKillop, chair of the Red Meat Advisory Council, pointed out that one-third of Australia's red meat exports go to the US.

And it turns out that Australian beef plays a major role in American hamburgers.

"Australian beef is in an estimated 6 billion hamburgers consumed each year in the US," McKillop said.

According to him, Trump’s tariff could cost US consumers an extra $180 billion (A$287 billion) per year.

Why? Because American beef is fattier, and US burger producers rely on lean Australian beef to blend into their patties. Without it, they’d have to grind up more expensive cuts of meat just to keep the same burger texture.

Markets React—And It’s Not Pretty

Trump’s announcement spooked investors, sending US stock futures tumbling in after-hours trading:

• Dow Jones futures dropped 256 points (-0.61%).

• S&P 500 futures slid 1.69%.

• Nasdaq 100 futures took the biggest hit, falling 2.54%.

Gold, meanwhile, hit a record high of over $3,200 per ounce, as investors sought a safe haven amid growing economic uncertainty.

What’s Next?

For now, Australian beef exporters will have to brace for impact, while American consumers might soon see pricier burgers at their favorite fast-food chains.

And with Trump leaning heavily into trade policies as part of his campaign, this could be just the beginning of a major shake-up in US-Australia trade relations.