US beef imports threaten WA livestock industry while Albanese fails to deliver a fair-trade deal

WA’s cattle industry has long been a bedrock of our regional economy. From the vast stations of the Kimberley to feedlots in the Great Southern, this is an industry that not only supports more than 10,000 regional jobs but also underpins billions of dollars in export revenue. Yet the Albanese Government is doing its best to undermine this vital sector by reintroducing US beef imports under a trade regime that offers little in return to Australian producers. While the US positions itself to flood the Australian market with high-volume grain-fed beef —subsidised, mass-produced and raised under looser regulatory standards — Labor has failed to secure meaningful reciprocal market access for Australian farmers. It is a lopsided trade arrangement that benefits US processors while putting our own producers at risk. WA’s cattle herd sits at approximately 2.36 million head, representing almost 10 per cent of the national herd. This is not just a number—it reflects thousands of farming families, transporters, processors, exporters, and retailers. In regions like the Kimberley and Pilbara, up to 70 per cent of cattle sales are geared towards live export, and many of these operations run on razor-thin margins. The re-entry of cheaper US beef into the domestic market will undercut local demand and prices, making it harder for WA cattle producers to compete and survive. The US has one of the most industrialised beef systems in the world. Its grain-fed beef can be delivered at lower per-unit costs due to scale, government subsidies, and feedlot practices that would not pass Australian standards. For WA producers, already grappling with high transport costs, labour shortages, and processing bottlenecks, this is an existential threat. And it is not just about price competition — it is about maintaining the viability of our entire supply chain. Just as alarming is the biosecurity risk US beef imports pose to Australia’s pristine livestock health standards. Australia has earned a reputation for having one of the most robust biosecurity systems in the world — critical not only to public safety but also to our export market competitiveness. The reintroduction of US beef raises numerous red flags. The US continues to grapple with a range of animal health issues, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or “mad cow disease”, and antimicrobial resistance. While regulators claim the risks are mitigated through inspection and documentation, one weak link in the chain can have catastrophic consequences. WA producers, particularly those in the north, rely heavily on disease-free certification to access high-value export markets in Asia and the Middle East. One biosecurity breach could jeopardise access to these markets overnight. The picture is even starker when you consider the US imports large volumes of beef from Mexico and Canada. Mexican beef in particular lacks the rigorous traceability, welfare, and biosecurity controls that define Australian production, yet still enjoys easier access to the US market through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Given this, it was disappointing when the Coalition tried to establish a Senate inquiry into this aspect of the US beef imports deal in Parliament last week, Labor and the Greens joined forces to block it. The WA cattle industry is already confronting serious logistical and cost challenges. Labour shortages at abattoirs, live export permit delays, shipping congestion, and skyrocketing feed costs are squeezing producers from all angles. Our regional supply chains are uniquely vulnerable. Unlike the Eastern States, WA doesn’t have the same density of processors or markets. A disruption in demand from one large domestic buyer — or a drop in prices caused by imported product — can force closures, job losses, and the offloading of cattle into already saturated systems. Worse still, the lack of a coherent Federal strategy to insulate WA’s livestock sector from these disruptions has left producers to fend for themselves. Instead of supporting investment in regional processing infrastructure or securing better live export pathways, the Albanese Government appears content to pursue trade deals that help foreign producers access our markets while doing little to protect our own. Compare Labor’s poor performance with how the European Union negotiated with Washington. In 2019, the EU secured a landmark agreement with the US granting access to a dedicated 35,000-tonne quota of hormone-free beef imports from American producers — all under strict EU food safety and welfare conditions. And the recent deal between the EU and the US which aimed to avert a wider tariff war did not include targeted provisions for beef. Australia, on the other hand, has failed to achieve anything close to that outcome. Instead of negotiating preferential terms or reciprocal market access for Australian beef in the US — where barriers remain stubbornly high — the Albanese Government has rolled over and reopened the door to cheap US beef without demanding tangible returns. In 2022, Australian beef exports to the US hit their lowest point in more than a decade. Market access remains constrained by quotas, labelling rules, and sanitary barriers, while US beef is now free to access our food service sector without facing the same scrutiny. That’s not free trade —it is managed disadvantage. The failure to secure a balanced agreement reflects poorly on the Albanese Government’s trade strategy more generally. Both Trade Minister Don Farrell and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have talked up the importance of diversified markets and fair access — but when it mattered most, they failed to deliver. Their reluctance to take a firm stance on behalf of Australian producers shows just how out of touch Canberra has become with regional industry realities. It feels distressingly like the live sheep export ban all over again. For WA’s livestock producers, the question is no longer just about trade policy, it is about whether Labor is willing to stand up for rural industries, for regional communities, and for the integrity of our supply chains. We need leadership that recognises the value of the cattle sector — not just as a trade statistic, but as a critical economic and cultural component of Western Australia. That means demanding trade reciprocity, protecting our biosecurity, and investing in the infrastructure and systems that support local production. It also means having the courage to say no when deals are one-sided. Australia’s cattle industry — especially in WA — has built a global reputation for quality, safety, and sustainability. That reputation is now at risk, and unless the Albanese Government changes course, the livelihoods of many WA communities may be sacrificed for a short-term diplomatic gesture with no long-term gain. Dean Smith is a WA Liberal senator