CANBERRA - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that his government will not loosen biosecurity laws as it considers lifting a restriction on imports of US beef.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Nine Entertainment newspapers reported on Friday that Albanese's Labor Party government could use the import ban on some beef slaughtered in the US as a bargaining chip in negotiations for an exemption from US tariffs.
Responding to the reports, Albanese said that his government would not negotiate on biosecurity but would be open to a solution that would not compromise food safety.
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"We'll never loosen any rules regarding our biosecurity," he told ABC radio.
Australia lifted a blanket ban on US beef imports, which had been in place since 2003, in 2019 but import restrictions on beef products from Canadian and Mexican cattle slaughtered in the US remain in place.
The US administration in March identified biosecurity laws relating to beef imports as a trade grievance with Australia ahead of unveiling the 'Liberation Day' tariffs.
The ABC and Nine Entertainment both reported that Australian officials believe that biosecurity laws could be tweaked to allow US beef into Australia without risking safety.
It comes ahead of an expected meeting between Albanese and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the upcoming G7 Leaders' Summit in Canada.
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Health Minister Mark Butler, a member of Albanese's cabinet, told Seven Network television on Friday that the beef import restrictions have been under review for "some time."
"This will be a decision taken on its merits, not for convenience, not to get a deal. We'll be taking a decision in the national interest in this area," he said.
Albanese told ABC radio that he is looking forward to having a face-to-face meeting with Trump and again described the US tariffs as an act of economic "self-harm."
