Nationals Leader Warns Against Relaxing Beef Import Rules in US Trade Talks

Nationals leader David Littleproud accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of considering dangerous concessions on beef imports from Mexico and Canada during trade negotiations with the United States, raising biosecurity concerns that could threaten Australia's cattle industry.

Speaking on Sky News AM Agenda Monday, Littleproud said government departments had proposed allowing beef from cattle born in Mexico and Canada into Australian markets as part of efforts to secure better trade terms with the Trump administration.

"When you see reports from departments saying this is what's on the table in terms of negotiations, where there's smoke, there's fire," Littleproud said. "That's why the Prime Minister needs to rule this out."

The controversy centers on traceability standards for imported beef. Since 2019, Australia has permitted US beef imports under strict protocols requiring cattle to be born, raised and slaughtered entirely within the United States.

Littleproud warned that expanding imports to include cattle born in Mexico or Canada would create unacceptable risks because Australia cannot trace where those animals originated or what diseases they may have encountered.

"We don't have the traceability to know where those cows have come from," he said. "That's not something that we should entertain."

The Nationals leader said relaxed standards could allow cattle from South America to enter Mexico, be processed in US slaughterhouses, then exported to Australia without proper disease monitoring.

---

Truth matters. Quality journalism costs.

Your subscription to Mencari directly funds the investigative reporting our democracy needs. For less than a coffee per week, you enable our journalists to uncover stories that powerful interests would rather keep hidden. There is no corporate influence involved. No compromises. Just honest journalism when we need it most.

Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.

---