Donald Trump’s trade policies could lead to increased prices for American hamburgers, Australia’s Trade Minister, Don Farrell, has warned. This comes amid concerns that tariffs may be expanded to include beef and other agricultural products. Farrell said that most of Australia’s beef exports to the United States, which mainly go to fast food giant McDonald’s, would become more expensive if America implemented new tariffs. He aims to prevent this by advocating for Australian exemptions from Trump’s growing tariff measures, and is open to finding a deal that could persuade the American President. American consumers would then bear the cost of any tariffs in increased food prices.
The Australian government is also pushing to reduce US tariffs on steel and aluminium exports. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the imposition of tariffs on Australia by the US is not the action of a friendly country. He pointed out that tariffs are a tax on American buyers of products, affecting the economy negatively.
The Minister, styling himself as an advocate against these particular tariffs as well as the broader trade policies of the Trump administration, will be in discussions with his US counterparts, and rejecting any idea of retaliatory tariffs on America. This intervention may become more critical as Australian farmers are keenly awaiting whether their meat exports will be imposed with tariffs in the next round.
This comes in the wake of the Trade Minister’s observation that the US does not seem clear on what decisions they will make.
The opposition has criticized Albanese for not taking personal initiative in addressing the matter with President Trump, suggesting his absence as a lack of leadership. Farrell dismissed these claims, stating that the former Coalition government’s tariffs on Australian goods by China and relations between Trump and other international leaders are more critical indicators of bilateral benefits.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/16/australias-trade-minister-warns-trump-tariff-war-could-raise-price-of-big-mac-in-us
