Major supermarkets and fast-food chains in Australia said they will not be importing US beef, even after the country relaxed its years-long restrictions on the type of meat.
Aldi, Coles and Woolworths have always offered 100 per cent Australian beef sourced from local farmers and have no plans to change that, news.com.au reported, citing the companies’ spokespeople.
Similarly, McDonald’s said it will continue to source 100 per cent Aussie beef for its menu and will not buy the meat from North America.
Australia banned beef imports from the US in 2003 after the bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease, was discovered in American cattle.
The blanket ban was lifted in 2019, but restrictions remained on US beef sourced from cattle in Canada and Mexico.
Last month, the federal government removed these restrictions following a decade-long biosecurity review that found more robust movement controls had been introduced in the US.
The federal opposition criticised the move and suggested that it was a concession made as part of the tariff negotiations with the Trump administration.
The restrictions on US beef imports were one of the key grievances that led the Trump administration to impose tariffs on Australia. In the most recent update on its sweeping global tariffs, the Trump administration said it will apply a 10 per cent levy on Australian exports, which was the lowest among its universal tariff rates.
The government, however, rejected this claim.
“The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is satisfied that the strengthened control measures put in place by the US effectively manage biosecurity risks,” Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said. “The Albanese Labor government will never compromise on biosecurity.”
