THE US beef industry has watched Australia's handling of the current beef import issue with fascination, having gone through a similar process over readmitting live cattle from Canada two years ago.
Reaction this week out of the US over Agriculture Minister Tony Burke's change of tack over imports has ranged from claims that the move is a thinly veiled trade barrier, to being of little real significance to US interests.
Prominent Texas beef producer Chuck Kiker, vice-president of the US Cattlemen's Association, said the events had not registered significantly in the US industry, primarily because Australia had historically never been a significant market for US exports.
He said there had been an underlying curiosity as to why the 'perceived risk' of contracting disease from US beef would be telegraphed with such vigour to the broader beef consuming community, undermining confidence in beef generally.
"The chances of Australia importing any significant quantity of beef from the US are next to none. Looking at prices in the US and Australia, who in their right mind would send high priced beef to a country that has lower-priced beef?" he asked.
Asked whether the real value to the US out of Australia dropping its current ban on trade in US beef might be in enhancing the reputation of US beef in other export markets, Mr Kiker said while that would not hurt, the key point was that the US wanted all countries to subscribe to OIE standards.
"The big target for us is Japan, and getting them to drop their current 20-month ban. Removing any of the current trade restrictions that aren't actually part of the OIE recommendations is the ultimate aim," he said.
He again defended the credibility of US beef in international markets.
"We tested over 700,000 high risk animals, and found just two atypical BSE cases. I would venture to guess that if Australia did the same thing, it might find a similar proportion in its own herd."
While it was possible that some elements within the US beef industry would see the Australian Government's latest move as a form of trade barrier, Mr Kiker believed it would not be viewed with anything like the same concern as the events in South Korea in 2008, when the import issue deteriorated into militant hysteria.
"The sheer lack of trade potential into Australia would make it hard to believe that the US would pursue this matter through the Word Trade Organisation, for example," he said.
"If it was the Australian Government, rather than activist groups making claims that US beef was not safe, things might be different. But your Government, from what I can understand, has studied the science and taken a responsible approach."
"I don't think either the Australian or US Governments want this to become a big trade issue."
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