Limestone Coast farmers are being urged to diversify their markets in the wake of the US imposing tariffs on Australian imports, including beef.
Mount Gambier Combined Agents chairman Chris Manser said he does not think local producers will be greatly impacted and sees the announcement as an opportunity to further explore other markets
As the world reacted to US President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime, including singling out Australian beef when he imposed a 10% tariff on all Australian imports, local producers are being urged not to hit the panic buttom.
In 2024, the United States was Australia’s largest beef export market, receiving nearly 400,000 tonnes or 30.7%, up 17% from 2022.
President Trump declared his annoyance that Australia has banned the import of American beef since 2003 after the US had cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
“Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people – but they ban American beef,” the President said.
“Yet we imported $3b of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They will not take any of our beef.”
“They do not want it because they do not want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I do not blame them, but we’re doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight.”
However, Mount Gambier Combined Agents chairman Chris Manser said he does not think local producers will be greatly impacted and sees the announcement as an opportunity to further explore other markets.
“I think we got out of it okay, we are only 10% whereas other countries got higher tariffs than what we have,” he said.
“I think at the end of the day it was 10% and if it had of been 30 or 40% like it has been in other countries then I think it would have had a bigger bite on us.
“I do not know whether it will impact the prices greatly to be honest. It is only 10% and I guess we are going to have to try and absorb that.
“Let’s look for other markets as well, if that’s the way he wants to play it, and just see what’s good for Australia.
“Personally, I think he is still going to want our beef, we send a lot of grinding beef into America because they love their hamburgers and that’s what we supply. At the end of the day, it is going to cost the American public more.
“We will still supply them there is no problem there and I think the supply may not decrease to be honest.
“There have been big rains up in Queensland and there have been good rains in New South Wales and that has actually lifted our cattle prices. For the week that has just gone we have not seen any impact at all.”
