U.MAE.2151 - Market Access - Europe

Summary

A Red Meat 2030 priority is to improve the economic resilience of the industry by increasing market access. Positioning for improved access focused on two key trade negotiations - the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UK FTA) and the Australia-European Union FTA (A-EU FTA) - with both the UK and EU having very restrictive import regimes (low quota access and high tariffs).

The FTA with the UK was signed in December 2021 and successfully addressed the key quota / tariff impediments - with liberalised access for Australian red meat products to be secured 10 years following entry into force.

FTA negotiations with the EU continue - with the Australian industry having the opportunity, for the first time in 50 years, to modernise and secure significant access improvements.

The market access program for both the UK and EU involved positioning the Australian red meat sector as an integral recipient of an ambitious outcomes. This involved:
- monitoring, collating and distilling market insights for the benefits of the Australian industry to aid the development of policy, strategy and positioning;
- preparation of industry submissions and correspondence, securing industry endorsement of same and subsequently submitting to Government;
- implementing agreed advocacy plans to support industry positions;
- the implementation of a communications campaign in both the UK and EU targeting key in-market industry and government influencers.

Objectives

Industry endorsed positions, submissions, advocacy strategies, and correspondence prepared by and (where appropriate) implemented by MLA in relation to the A-UK FTA and A-EU FTA, are acknowledged and acted on by Government, and support delivery of import regime reform.