Laura Jayes: There's been a big development this morning. We have confirmation that beef biosecurity laws will be relaxed. Joining me live now is a Trade Minister, Don Farrell. Is that right? What does that mean?
Minister for Trade: Well, it means that the process - good morning to you, Laura.
Laura Jayes: Good morning.
Minister for Trade: Nice to be talking with you. What it means is that a process that's been going now for about 10 years at the request of the United States to review bans that had been placed on the export, certain exports of American beef into Australia has now been decided. That review has taken place. It's been a very lengthy review, and the review has found that it is now appropriate for Australia to receive American beef. You know, we're a free trading country. We like to export our beef all around the world and it's a wonderful product. So, we have to accept that other countries are entitled to request their product to be allowed to come into Australia. We apply really, really strict biosecurity rules. And as I say, it's been a 10-year process. And as a result of that process by the officials at the Agriculture Department, we have decided that it is appropriate now, based on all of those biosecurity rules and tests, that we should allow American beef to come back into Australia.
Laura Jayes: Okay. Convenient that Trump raised this as one of the impediments for getting a tariff deal and now this review is concluded as such. But what has changed as American beef? What did the review find exactly? And what do our then new laws when it comes to American beef actually look like?
Minister for Trade: Look, we, we apply a very strict test in terms of whether a product is safe to be brought into Australia and that there is no risks to the Australian beef or cattle industry. Those tests have been done. As I say, it's been a 10-year process. This, this is not a process that's started since the election of President Trump. It goes back a very, very long period of time.
Laura Jayes: Sure.
Minister for Trade: We have scientists who, who look after these things. The Albanese government is very focused on ensuring that we protect our biosecurity in Australia. We have a clean and green industry here. And all of those tests have now been satisfied by the Department of Agriculture, and we are prepared to allow American beef to come into Australia.
Laura Jayes: Minister, are you really saying this review has taken 10 years and it just happens to be, you know, a couple of months after Trump raised this as an impediment? The timing seems a little suspicious, if you'll forgive me.
Minister for Trade: There's nothing suspicious about this at all, Laura. This has been a process that's been underway for a very long period of time, and we are satisfied now. And you know, I was listening to the cattle industry people speak earlier this morning. If we want to export our beef overseas, then we have to accept that other countries will want to import their beef into Australia.
Laura Jayes: Sure.
Minister for Trade: The job of the Federal government is to make absolutely certain that there is no biosecurity risk as a result of that. We've done that. We've got some of the top scientists in the world. We've kept out disease for a very long period of time in Australia. We want to continue keeping it out. But if the Americans are able to satisfy those tests, and that's what they've done, then we're prepared to allow them to import their beef.
Laura Jayes: Ok, so you say you're absolutely certain there's no biosecurity risk. Is there an origin story here? Can you ensure that the beef coming from the United States doesn't come from Canada or Mexico where they don't have the stringent laws that we require or stringent biosecurity guardrails that we require? What has been done in that sense to make sure the origin-
Minister for Trade: My understanding, Laura, is all of those things have been done to the satisfaction of the Australian scientists who are in charge of this, of this area, and that we are very clear that the product that we are prepared to accept from the United States comes from the United States.
Laura Jayes: Well, how do you do that?
Minister for Trade: Look, I'm not a scientist, unfortunately.
Laura Jayes: But do you have to be a scientist to know, you know, we just need to know that this cattle, this beef was actually raised at American farms.
Minister for Trade: Yeah, yeah. And we are satisfied as a result of what advice we've received from the American government that they meet those tests. So, we are not going to risk our biosecurity by allowing product in that doesn't meet those tests. That test has to be met. I mean, we've got to do the same thing when we export our product, obviously.
Laura Jayes: But I'm just wondering, do Americans have to provide proof that this cattle originated in the US or do we just take them on their word?
Minister for Trade: The Americans have to satisfy the very high standards of biosecurity that the Australian government applies to every product.
Laura Jayes: Yeah, I appreciate that and I appreciate that this has happened even though it's been a 10 year review. But do we have that kind of detail? Do we know what the threshold of satisfaction is? Is it proof that this cattle was raised in America?
Minister for Trade: Look, look, can I say this to you, Laura? Our Australian agricultural scientists would not be allowing any product to come into Australia that does not meet our very strict biosecurity rules. We're not going to. We're not going to risk our industry. I mean, one of the reasons that we sell so much beef overseas, it's one of our biggest exports, one of our biggest agricultural exports, is that people have great faith in our biosecurity rules and we're very strict about them. That's why they accept our product overseas. We're not going to drop our standards in any way when we allow beef to come in from overseas. But, you know, if those countries can satisfy those rules, then we're prepared to allow them to bring their product into Australia.
Laura Jayes: Okay, so have you told the US about this? Was this one of the impediments to getting a trade deal? Have you spoken with your counterpart?
Minister for Trade: I haven't spoken with my counterpart since this decision in the last 24 hours. We don't link biosecurity issues with trade issues. They're separate issues. We continue-
Laura Jayes: They do though.
Minister for Trade: Well, you know, the Americans can do whatever they like, I guess, but we have our standards and our rules and our principles. We're going to continue to argue with the United States government that their decision to impose tariffs on Australia is the wrong course of action. And every opportunity I get, every opportunity the President gets or the Foreign Minister gets, we push the case for the removal of these tariffs and we're going to continue to do that, but we're not going to do anything that risks our biosecurity and we're not going to do anything that impacts on our national interest. We think, you know, the fact that America sells twice as much product into Australia tariff free, so we are honouring the strict terms of our free trade agreement means that we should not be subject to any tariff whatsoever. And that’s the argument that we will continue to prosecute.
Laura Jayes: Minister, is there any movement at the station. Is there any movement at the station since, you know, in the intervening couple of weeks since I was in Washington, since I exchanged texts with you, is there any movement? Are we any closer, even if it's a tiny step closer to a trade deal?
Minister for Trade: Well, look, can I say we're not going to allow our biosecurity rules to be impacted by the trade issues. We'll continue to prosecute the argument.
Laura Jayes: But do you expect this to be a bit of a sweetener for the US though, given what Trump said publicly? I mean, it's not going to hurt.
Minister for Trade: Look, we believe that we have a very strong argument to prosecute with the United States government that they should remove all tariffs on Australian products. We're going to continue at every opportunity we get to prosecute that argument. And just like with China, don't forget it took us two and a half years to get all of the tariffs removed from our relationship.
Laura Jayes: But do you accept that this will help your argument just a little bit, right?
Minister for Trade: Look, I can't read the minds of the Americans, particularly not President Trump. Can I assure you, Laura, that my objective and the objective of the Albanese government, from the Prime Minister down, we are going to continue to sensibly prosecute the argument, as we did with China, that tariffs are not the way to go. Tariffs simply increase the cost of living for America. We want those tariffs removed and we'll continue to prosecute that argument to the best of our ability.
Laura Jayes: I mean, do you have any faith in that happening given they've done the trade deal with Japan? They've got a 15 per cent reciprocal tariff. They did one with Malaysia? No, the Philippines. The Philippines leader even went to meet Donald Trump in the Oval Office. It was sitting at 20 per cent reciprocal tariffs. And then after the meeting, it went down to 19. Australia, nothing. It's crickets.
Minister for Trade: Well. Well, we are at the lowest level, Laura.
Laura Jayes: Yep.
Minister for Trade: Don't forget that. And from, from day one of these tariffs, we were at the lowest level. But we think that because of our trading relationship with the United States and the fact that it is so much in the favour of the United States that all of these tariffs should be removed. And we'll keep saying it. I said that for two and a half years in our relations with. With China. And just before Christmas last year, the last of those impediments on lobster were removed. We've got a very strong argument, almost an irrefutable argument, can I say, Laura, as to why these tariffs should not be applying to Australia. Those other countries you mentioned have got different trading relationships with the United States. My job and the job of the Albanese government is to prosecute the argument with the Americans until such time as they realise that these tariffs on Australia are a mistake.
Laura Jayes: Ok. Hopefully you're not out of breath doing that anytime soon. Don Farrell. Minister, thank you for your time.
Minister for Trade: Thanks a lot.