DFAT Portal
Access under Australia’s FTAs
Improved market access, and the successful defence of existing gains, will be critical in achieving industry’s 2030 goal of doubling the value of red meat sales.
Fortunately, Australian red meat and livestock have access to many export markets, thanks to robust integrity systems, an unrivalled disease-free status, and a track record by the Australian industry in partnership with the Government in perusing preferential trade reform.
However, a large number of Australia's overseas markets remain subject to entry barriers. These impediments to trade are imposed in many forms. Border protection measures, including tariffs and quotas, are the most obvious. However, non-tariff barriers and technical imposts are also major issues. While Australian exports have greatly benefited from the reduction in tariffs over the last three decades, non-tariff barriers can often prohibit the industry from fully realising those gains.
Red Meat 2030 outlines industry’s goals in relation to market access:
In terms of preferential access, the Australian red meat industry’s current priority is to secure improved import regimes through ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union, India and the United Arab Emirates.
When it comes to non-tariff reform, removing impediments in the Middle East, China and South East Asia are the priority.
Market | Agreement(s) | Applied tariff (%) | Safeguard / quota and out-of-quota tariff |
Canada | CPTPP | 0 | - |
Chile | A-CFTA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
China | ChAFTA / RCEP | 0 | Safeguard: 202,240t; 12% (25% for carcasses) |
European Union | WTO | 20% (Hilton HQB), 0% (shared GFB) | Quotas: 3,389t (Hilton HQB); 14,800t (shared GFB); 12.8% + up to 3 €/kg |
Gulf Cooperation Council | WTO | 0-5% | - |
Hong Kong | A-HKFTA | 0 | - |
India | WTO | 30% | - |
Indonesia | AANZFTA / IA-CEPA | 0 | - |
Japan | JAEPA / CPTPP / RCEP | 22.5% (from 1 April) | Safeguard: 649,000t (CPTPP); 30% (from 1 April) |
Korea | KAFTA / RCEP | 10.6% | Safeguard: 188,437t; 24% |
Malaysia | MAFTA / AANZFTA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
Mexico | CPTPP | 6-8% | - |
New Zealand | CER / AANZFTA / CPTPP / RCEP | 0 | - |
Peru | CPTPP / PAFTA | 0-6% | - |
Philippines | AANZFTA | 0 | - |
Russia (NB current ban on beef imports) | WTO | 15% | Shared quotas: 11,000t (chilled); 407,000t (frozen); 50% |
Singapore | SAFTA / AANZFTA / CPTPP / RCEP | 0 | - |
South Africa | WTO | 40% or 240c/kg | - |
Taiwan | WTO | NT $10.5/kg | - |
Thailand | TAFTA / AANZFTA / RCEP | 0 | - |
United Kingdom | WTO / A-UKFTA | 20% | WTO Quota: 3,761t; FTA Quota: 43,333t; 12.0% + up to 2.6 £/kg |
United States | AUSFTA | 0 | - |
Vietnam | AANZFTA / CPTPP / RCEP | 0 | - |
Market | Agreement(s) | Applied tariff (%) | Quota and out-of-quota tariff (%) |
Canada | CPTPP | 0 | - |
Chile | A-CFTA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
China | ChAFTA | 0 | - |
European Union | WTO | 0 | Quota: 5,851t; 12.8% + up to 3.1€/kg |
Gulf Cooperation Council | WTO | 0-5% | - |
Hong Kong | A-HKFTA | 0 | - |
India | AI-ECTA | 0 | - |
Indonesia | AANZFTA/ IA-CEPA | 0 | - |
Japan | JAEPA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
Korea | KAFTA | 0 | - |
Malaysia | MAFTA / AANZFTA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
Mexico | CPTPP | 0 | - |
New Zealand | CER / AANZFTA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
Papua New Guinea | WTO | 0 | - |
Peru | CPTPP / PAFTA | 0 | - |
Philippines | AANZFTA | 0 (5% for goatmeat) | - |
Russia | WTO | 15% | - |
Singapore | SAFTA / AANZFTA / CPTPP | 0 | - |
South Africa | WTO | 40% or 200c/kg | - |
Taiwan | WTO | 15% or NT $11.3/kg | - |
Thailand | TAFTA / AANZFTA | 0 | - |
United Kingdom |
WTO / A-UKFTA |
0 | WTO Quota: 13,335t; FTA Quota: 30,556t 12.0% + up to 2.6 £/kg |
United States | AUSFTA | 0 | - |
Vietnam | AANZFTA / CPTPP / RCEP | 0 | - |
Note: as tariff rates and quotas can alter, reference should also be made to DFAT’s FTA Portal as well as the tariff schedules available from the relevant authority in the country of interest.
Acronyms:
AANZFTA: ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area; AI ECTA: Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement; A-UKFTA: Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement; AUSFTA: Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement; CER: Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations; CPTPP: Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership; ChAFTA: China-Australia Free Trade Agreement; A-HKFTA: Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement; IA-CEPA: Indonesia-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement; JAEPA: Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement; KAFTA: Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement; MAFTA: Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement; PAFTA: Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement; RCEP: Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership; SAFTA: Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement; TAFTA: Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement; WTO: World Trade Organisation.
As a major exporting industry, changes in access to overseas markets affect the profitability of both individual livestock producers and meat processors. Approximately three quarters of Australian red meat is now consumed in overseas markets. Access to a wide array of global markets allows Australian exporters to maximise the value of each carcase and reduce the risk of being overly reliant on any one buyer. Dynamic international market conditions require an ongoing effort to defend access and, where possible, secure improvements to export conditions via trade reform.
MLA's role in market access
MLA’s market access program, co-funded by producer levies and processor contributions, works alongside industry and government to defend and maintain existing favourable access conditions, position Australia positively in trade negotiations and assist with the alleviation of non-tariff (technical) trade barriers via in-market representation and research.
MLA’s contribution is led by staff in Sydney, and via our overseas offices in Washington DC, London, Dubai, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and Jakarta, coupled with our network of representatives in South East Asia.
Broadly speaking, MLA has a trade advocacy role.
The role of government
Defending market access and securing trade reform are commonly undertaken at a government-to-government level. In so doing, the Australian Government implements an integrated trade policy program with the goal of creating new and more open export markets. This is achieved through three key trade reform avenues:
Free trade agreements (FTAs) or closer economic partnerships promote stronger trade and commercial ties between participating countries and open-up opportunities for Australian exporters and investors to expand their business into key markets. FTAs can speed up trade liberalisation by delivering gains faster than multilateral or regional processes.
The Australian red meat and livestock industry has been a major beneficiary of FTAs completed to date. This has involved the reduction or elimination of tariffs as well as improvements to other, previously trade restrictive, measures. For example, it is estimated that the benefits of Australia’s the three North Asian FTAs – Korea (KAFTA), Japan (JAEPA) and China (ChAFTA) – will result in a combined $20 billion in extra value for the Australian industry over twenty years.
Furthermore, Australia’s recent FTA with the United Kingdom (A-UKFTA) will expand quotas and eliminate tariffs imposed on Australian beef, sheepmeat and goatmeat exports over a 10 year timeframe, before subsequently providing unrestricted access arrangements.
Access under Australia’s FTAs
The status on FTAs under negotiation
DAWE’s database of importing country requirements