Improved market access is essential, and the FTA is the way to achieve it, the industry believes.
With the EU only allocating quota increases to its trading partners, rather than genuinely liberalising its import regime, Australian negotiators must remain firm.
Andrew McDonald, chair of the Australia-EU Red Meat Market Access Taskforce, said Australia cannot afford to fall further behind other global suppliers.
“A successful deal must correct the disproportionately low-quota volumes currently applied to Australian beef, sheep-meat and goat-meat entering the EU, and secure the maximum possible additional, useable access under an FTA,” Mr McDonald said.
“Our competitors have significantly strengthened their position in the EU through bilateral negotiations. With strong support from the Australian Government, we aim to achieve the same,” Mr McDonald said.
“As a like-minded partner with a strong value proposition, particularly in product quality and sustainability, it is reasonable that Australia secures at least a minimum of 50,000 tonnes carcase weight (cwt) of beef access in line with what the EU has offered our competitors.”
Australia’s current country-specific beef quota sits at just 3389 tonnes shipped weight (swt). This compares starkly with:
- 49,500 tonnes cwt secured by Brazil (assuming 50 per cent of Mercosur’s 99,000 tonne outcome); and
- 50,000 tonnes cwt secured via the EU–Canada agreement.
“The situation for Australian sheep-meat and goat-meat is similarly inequitable,” Mr McDonald said.
“New Zealand enjoys 125,769 tonnes of WTO access plus 38,000 tonnes under its FTA. By contrast, Australia is limited to just 5851 tonnes.
“A genuinely trade enhancing FTA must go a long way toward addressing this imbalance by securing at least a minimum of 67,000 tonnes.”
20°C