US group R-CALF petitions congress to restrict Aussie lamb imports

They're also extremely offended by the claims that their lamb and mutton is not subject to the same stringent production standards required in the US.

The sheep committee from R-CALF USA - Ranchers and Cattlemen Action Legal Fund for United Stockgrowers of America - has petitioned the US Trade Ambassador for relief from lamb and mutton imports which the group says has decimated their commercial sheep industry.

The petition describes the importance of the US sheep industry to America's rural communities, environment and economy and argues that imported lamb and mutton, primarily from Australia and New Zealand, have increased 2,363 per cent in dollar value and 543pc in quantity since the early 1990s.

It says that while American lamb consumption has increased significantly over the past decade, the "tide of imports from foreign supply chains" has captured all of that increase.

It asks congress to establish a phased-in tariff rate quota system over 10 years.

Agforce sheep, wool and goat president Stephen Tully, a grazier from Quilpie in Queensland, said the promotion and input from the Australian sheepmeat industry had played an enormous role in boosting US demand for lamb.

"We shouldn't be seen as competitors but rather allies," he said.

"Sheepmeat makes up only a tiny percentage of US meat consumption but there is good potential to grow that if we work together."

The threat to the burgeoning US sheepmeat industry was not from Australian imports but other proteins - beef, chicken and even plant-based, he said.

R-CALF boss Bill Bullard told Farmonline his members were seeking tariffs or quantity restrictions placed on Australian and NZ imports and it was hoped that would be achieved by the end of the year.

He said 74pc of lamb and mutton consumed in the US now originated from foreign soil.

"The sheer volume of this cheaper product is holding us back," he said.

"We must rebalance this. America's sheep industry is already past the breaking point and only with government intervention can we expect to reclaim for America a reliable and everlasting domestic source of protein-rich lamb, which makes this a matter of national food security."

Global meat analyst Simon Quilty said the Australian industry had to take this seriously.

"But at the same time I don't believe it will carry because Australia has a very strong free trade agreement with North America," he said.

"This year, for the first time, we have open access for beef. For lamb this has been the case for some time.

"We are one of very few with that sort of access to the US - which underpins how important the relationship is.

"Any such proposal like this would fly in the face of that trade agreement."

Mr Quilty agreed Australian production complimented US domestic supply.

"During COVID, lamb in the US became incredibly popular - to do that you need quality and consistency of supply and that came from Australia," he said.

"Our flock size is 73m, theirs is 5.5m so their ability to provide consistent, high quality product is just not there."

Mr Bullard said that was the point. The US flock size would never grow while it was competing with cheaper Australian product.