(Bloomberg) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has signaled scope for a potential deal on US beef imports to his nation as part of tariff negotiations with President Donald Trump.
Albanese reiterated Friday that Australia wouldn’t “change or compromise” its biosecurity laws as part of negotiations with the Trump administration to lift import duties on steel and aluminum, as well as a general 10% “reciprocal” tariff.
However, he added that a deal could be struck if Australia was able to maintain its rules to keep invasive pests and diseases out of the island nation. “If things can be sorted out in a way that protects our biosecurity, of course, we don’t just say no,” Albanese said in a radio interview with Australia Broadcasting Corp.
The prime minister is expected to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Trump in coming weeks, potentially on the sidelines of a June 15-17 Group of Seven meeting that host nation Canada invited Albanese to attend. The two leaders have previously spoken on the phone multiple times, with Trump praising his “very good relationship” with Albanese following the Australian PM’s reelection on May 3.
The lack of US beef exports to Australia has been a sticking point for the Trump administration. The president singled out Canberra for special mention in an April press conference, saying that while Australians were “wonderful people and wonderful everything,” they were not buying enough American produce.
Australia barred US beef imports in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease in the nation, and only lifted some restrictions in 2019. However, Washington is demanding “full market access for fresh US beef and beef products,” according to the US Trade Representative’s 2025 Foreign Trade Barriers report released in March.
The Australian government is also weighing a potential deal on critical minerals with the Trump administration as part of its tariff negotiations.