Australia to end US beef import ban after trade dispute

Australia is set to lift its import ban on US beef, a measure that had been in place since 2003 following a mad cow disease outbreak. The US had cited these restrictions as a reason for imposing tariffs on Australian goods. While Australia's government claims the decision was based on a decade-long review of improved US beef safety measures, including better cattle tracing protocols, the timing has been linked to the trade dispute with the Trump administration. The ban was technically lifted in 2019, but continued restrictions on cattle from Mexico and Canada, which share supply chains with the US, effectively maintained the ban.