Australian beef exports exempt from new US tariffs, says producer group

Australian beef exports will remain exempt from new US import tariffs announced by President Donald Trump over the weekend, trade body Cattle Australia's CEO Will Evans said Feb. 23.

Cattle Australia is seeking formal confirmation through government and industry channels but a November 2025 agreement guaranteed tariff-free access for Australian beef, Evans said in a statement.

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"The US is a long-standing and valued trading partner, and the continuation of the agreed zero-tariff position would provide confidence to both Australian grass-fed beef producers and consumers in the U.S.," Evans said.

The US was Australia's largest beef export market in 2025, with shipments reaching a record 1.545 million metric tons, government data showed. According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Australian beef production and exports were driven by strong US demand and herd rebuilding cycles.

The US accounts for about a third of Australia's beef exports. So far in 2026, Australia has been the largest fresh beef exporter to the US at 71,007 mt, up 10% year over year, followed by Brazil at 37,042 mt, up 21%, and Canada at 34,923 mt, down 8%.

The USDA expects US beef imports for the marketing year 2026 (January-December) at 5.575 billion pounds (2.53 million mt), up 3.4% year over year, according to its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released Feb. 10.

While sheepmeat and goatmeat exports will face higher tariffs, beef remains unaffected, Evans said.

On Feb. 20, the US Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed by Trump under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), finding that Congress did not give the president the power to impose them under the law.

In response to the ruling, Trump announced he would sign an order on Feb. 20 to implement a temporary 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed 90CL beef CIF US at $8,135/mt on Feb. 20, unchanged from a day before.