Trump takes another brutal swipe against Australia in social media tirade
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Donald Trump has taken yet another swipe at Australia's refusal to accept US beef imports, as he doubles down on his contentious plan to apply widespread tariffs.
Trump last week slapped a ten per cent tariff on Australian goods being exported to the US, including beef, as part of his 'Liberation Day' trade policy to apply reciprocal tariffs on nations that put up barriers to US products.
On Monday, US time, Trump used his social media platform Truth Social to defend his policy against complaints from numerous countries as share markets worldwide saw a sell-off of companies whose profits will decline as a result.
Trump re-shared a comment from Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso which claimed the US has not sold 'one hamburger in Australia'.
Australia prevents the import of American beef when the products can't be traced from the source animal right through to the finished product.
Senator Barrasso later appeared on FoxNews where he said many cattle producers in his state thought it was unfair they could not sell their goods in the US but Australia can send its beef to America.
'I appreciate what the President is doing on tariffs... Australia has sold $29billion worth of beef in the United States, and we haven't been able to sell one hamburger in Australia because of barriers,' Senator Barrasso said.
'You look at these numbers, and the ranchers of Wyoming are saying thank you Mr President, it is about time!'
In his 'Liberation Day address, Trump (pictured) announced his new global tariffs, with Australia being slapped with 10 per cent on all exports to the US
Trump re-shared a comment from Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso which claimed the US has not sold 'one hamburger in Australia' on Truth Social on Monday (pictured)
Trump previously made disparaging comments about the misalignment between the two countries' policy on beef imports.
'Australia bans - and they're wonderful people, and they have wonderful everything - but they ban American beef,' he said while announcing the tariff regime last week.
'Yet we imported (US)$3billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.
'They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don't blame them.
'But we're doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight.'
Trump's speech sparked concerns the US would ban Australian beef entirely, but instead a ten per cent tariff was applied to the meat, as it was to all Australian goods.
Australia does not sell anywhere near the $29billion of beef to the US as Senator Barrasso suggested during his appearance on FoxNews.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia sells about $2billion - which is much closer to Trump's estimate in his 'Liberation Day' address.
Grass-fed beef made up 96 per cent of Australia's beef exports to the US in 2024 (pictured, Devon and Angus cows at a farm in Bungendore, Australia)
The Department of Agriculture added Australia does not have an outright ban on beef from the US but it does prevent the import of beef that cannot be traced from source animal right through to finished product.
The US can not comply with this measure as some of its export product is brought in from neighbouring countries. Effectively this biosecurity measure works as a ban, as Australia has not accepted any US beef imports for 20 years.
While the news of the tariff was disappointing, industry figures said American consumers would be harder hit than Australian beef farmers.
Grass-fed beef made up 96 per cent of Australia's beef exports to the US in 2024.
The US needs Australia's lean, grass-fed beef to make hamburgers, because drought in America has resulted in the culling of herds and a shortage of product.
Some fast food companies in America use Aussie beef to supplement fattier US beef to help lower the fat content in their burgers.
The demand is not going to stop and imports will continue but it is American consumers who will face higher prices as a result of the tariffs until such time the US industry can rebuild capacity to be self-reliant.
