IN BRIEF Resetting EU trade ‘out of quota’ tariffs. Imports of Australian beef in 2017 comprised only 0.2% of EU beef consumption, while for Australian sheepmeat the volume represents less than 2% of total EU sheepmeat consumption. Discussions on improving Australia’s red meat market access within the A-EU FTA negotiations will be complex, and agricultural products (including beef and sheepmeat) have been MLA’s Andrew McCallum takes EU taskforce representatives on a farm tour while in Australia. identified as ‘sensitive’ in scoping studies completed Australia- Beaudesert, Queensland. State of trade in the lead-up to the launch The EU is a major importer of the FTA. European Union Property owner Euan Free Trade of red meat due to a deficit Despite this, MLA Assistant Murdoch and manager Nick Manager – Trade and Market Agreement Cameron explained their in domestic supply, with (A-EU FTA) discussions the European Commission Access, Mary Johnson, said Ultrablack and Brangus identifying an annual the Australian industry recently moved from the seedstock operation to 353,000 tonne requirement remains highly supportive of boardroom to the outback. the representatives, who for imported beef by 2030, their commencement. are mainly Members of the as well as a 218,000 tonne EU Red Meat Market European Parliament. “MLA will continue to assist Access Taskforce, which requirement for sheepmeat. industry throughout the represents the Australian The four-day visit to Australia While the Australian red process to build on the red meat industry in A-EU is an example of the regular meat industry has dedicated opportunity to reset the FTA negotiations, hosted engagement between supply chains which focus on trading regime for Australian representatives of European DANZ and Australian meeting EU customer needs, red meat into Europe.” ■ Parliament’s Delegation officials to foster the bilateralits ability to respond to this for Relations with Australia relationship between the EU demand is limited due to Mary Johnson, MLA and New Zealand (DANZ) and Australia and support current low-volume beef and E: mjohnson@mla. at ‘Nindooinbah’ at A-EU FTA negotiations. sheepmeat quotas and high com.au Market snapshots updated MLA’s online global and domestic market influenced by changing from the Gulf Cooperation snapshots have been updated with consumer preferences, as Council countries, new consumer insights, market access well as trade access and and robust growth in developments and 2017–18 export performance data. supplies from competing sheepmeat exports into nations,” he said. China, as well as Australia’s The snapshots cover 10 key said since the last markets for beef and eight update in February 2018, “Among the insights trade access status. key markets for sheepmeat, developments have contained in the updated “The snapshots also look including Australia, Japan, emerged with implications snapshots are the key at the ongoing demand for North America (US, Canada for the Australian red meat outcomes of the Indonesia- Australian chilled grassfed and Mexico), Korea, China, Australia Comprehensive and livestock industry, Economic Partnership beef from US consumers, Indonesia, South-East which are explored in the Agreement (IA-CEPA), and and the increasing Asia, European Union and new snapshots. the implications of Brexit. competition from US beef in the Middle East and Northg “Australia supplies red Japan and Korea.” ■ Africa (MENA) reion. “Looking at consumer trends, meat to more than 100 the snapshots explore the MLA’s Market Intelligence countries and demand continuing rise in demand mla.com.au/market- Manager, Scott Tolmie, for our products is heavily for premium Australian lamb snapshots 10