Trade Minister Don Farrell backtracks on claim Anthony Albanese was lobbied by Donald Trump on US beef

One of Anthony Albanese’s senior Cabinet ministers has admitted he was mistaken after claiming Donald Trump personally lobbied the Prime Minister to lift restrictions on US beef imports to Australia.

Trade Minister Don Farrell had on Sunday indicated that the US President had raised the issue directly in one of the three phone conversations the leaders have shared.

“Of course, the president of the United States has raised it with the prime minister,” he told Sky.

“I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head which of the discussions, but I’m aware that this issue was raised by the president of the United States.”

However, the Prime Minister later clarified on ABC that the import ban had only been raised when Mr Trump said it publicly at his “Liberation Day” tariffs event in April.

Asked whether Donald Trump raised the issue directly with him, the Prime Minister replied, “No. Donald Trump did raise it at the so-called ‘Liberation Day’. He raised it publicly, and so his views were well known”.

By mid-day, Senator Farrell had clarified in a Nine interview “I made a mistake” and had confused that White House address with a private conversation between the two leaders.

Australia this week lifted a long-standing ban on US beef imports—specifically meat from cattle born in Canada or Mexico but slaughtered in America —following a decade-long, science-based biosecurity review.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, Mr Albanese and Mr Farrell had said strict standards remained in place and the decision’s timing amid tariff threats wasn’t suspicious.

Mr Trump had declared the move this week a trade triumph for America, calling it a “golden age of America,” and warning other countries were now “on notice.”

It comes after concern from Opposition and industry that the Albanese government compromised Australia’s strict biosecurity rules to appease Mr Trump amid his tariffs regime.

Nationals leader David Littleproud and other Coalition figures have questioned whether the decision was truly based on biosecurity and demanded an independent review.

Shadow Foreign Minister Michaelia Cash added to Littleproud’s calls on Sunday, saying she too would like an inquiry to come before the Senate.

“We now urgently need an independent review into this decision,” she said.

“It could be an independent review. I think it’s incredibly important, based on the responses that Minister Farrell has given… that we get the Department in front of us very, very quickly.”

Senator Cash also described Senator Farrell’s claims on the Trump phone call as an “extraordinary interview”, adding “there are even more questions now to answer”.