Australia welcomed Trump’s beef tariff rollback but is now demanding all U.S. tariffs be removed
Australia didn’t waste a breath. Just two days after President Donald Trump rolled back tariffs on more than 200 U.S. food imports, including beef, the Albanese government made it clear they want everything off the table.
According to Reuters, Trump removed the tariffs on Friday to calm American consumers who’ve been complaining about rising grocery bills.
The decision directly affects Australia, the biggest exporter of red meat to the U.S. since 2024, with over A$4 billion ($2.61 billion) worth of beef going into American mouths each year.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, speaking to ABC television on Sunday, said, “We welcome the lifting of these tariffs. That’s a good thing for Australian beef producers.” But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a lot more to say in Melbourne. Anthony demanded zero tariffs, not partial or gradual, all gone.
“We believe very firmly, and will continue to advocate for us to have zero tariffs,” he said during a televised press appearance.
Albanese government targets full removal of Trump-era tariffs
Anthony’s demand goes beyond beef. His government is now pushing for the U.S. to scrap its still-standing 50% tariffs on Australian steel and aluminum; penalties Trump introduced during his first term under the banner of “reciprocal” trade.
Trump uses that label when a country runs a goods-trade surplus with the U.S., which Australia does. Penny wouldn’t confirm whether they expect those steel and aluminum tariffs to fall next, but she made it clear: “We’ll keep advocating our position.”
Back in April, Trump called out the beef trade imbalance by name. He pointed to the fact that Australia has been exporting massive volumes of red meat to the U.S. for decades; anywhere from 150,000 to 400,000 tons per year since 1990.
Much of that supply ends up in fast food chains. After Trump’s complaint, Australia moved to remove its long-standing ban on U.S. beef, in place since 2003 due to mad cow concerns.
The change was a calculated move by Canberra to cool tensions before the November 2025 election.
That bet paid off, at least partially, when Trump dropped the beef tariffs. But for Anthony, that isn’t nearly enough. His administration is using the moment to press for full tariff elimination across all Australian goods.
That includes not just beef and metals, but also areas like agriculture, wine, and manufactured items.
India gains from exemptions but struggles with trade balance risks
While Australia fights for more, India is celebrating Trump’s exemptions on its agricultural exports. Indian tea, coffee, spices and cashew shipments were all affected by the same tariff regime that hit Australia.
Now, Indian exporters are expecting to benefit from Trump’s rollback. Ajay Sahai, head of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said between $2.5 billion and $3 billion of goods would now be exempted.
“This order opens space for premium, speciality and value-added products,” Ajay said. “Exporters who shift towards higher-value segments will be better protected from price pressures.”
Still, challenges remain. Indian farm exports to the U.S. dropped nearly 12% year-on-year in September, sinking to $5.43 billion.
A senior official working on India’s export strategy, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move helps farmers and exporters of tea, cashew, coffee and fresh produce.
But India still doesn’t ship large amounts of bananas, citrus, melons, or juices — the very items where Trump’s tariff relief matters most.
Ajay Srivastava from the Global Trade Research Initiative pointed out that the benefits will be modest at best. “The tariff shift would marginally strengthen India’s position in spices and niche horticulture and help revive some lost U.S. demand after the tariff hikes,” he said.
He also pointed out that Latin American, African, and ASEAN nations are expected to benefit more, since their trade footprint in these goods is bigger.
There’s also confusion in New Delhi over whether Trump’s rollback includes exemptions from the 25% reciprocal tariffs or the full 50% ones.
Meanwhile, exporters are watching shipping prices, stricter U.S. standards, and aggressive pricing by Vietnam and Indonesia.
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