‘We Haven’t Been Able to Sell One Hamburger in Australia’: Trump Repost on Social Media

Trump took to social media to endorse the view of Sen. John Barrasso.

A server is delivering food wearing disposable gloves in Bad Daddy's Burger Bar as it reopened for dine-in seating in Decatur, Ga., on April 27, 2020. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social to reflect on Australia’s tariff arrangements with the United States in relation to beef.

Trump shared quotes from Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) lamenting that the United States has not been able to sell hamburgers in Australia.

The post also says that Australia has sold $29 billion worth of beef in the United States, and suggests that Wyoming ranchers are happy with Trump’s tariff move.

“I appreciate what the president is doing on tariffs ... Australia has sold $29 billion worth of beef in the United States, and we haven’t been able to sell one hamburger in Australia because of barriers ... you look at these numbers, and the ranchers of Wyoming are saying thank you Mr President, it is about time,” the quote from Barrasso states.

This comes after a baseline 10 percent universal tariff on all imports came into effect on April 5.

A number of countries have been hit with much higher reciprocal tariffs including China, the EU, Switzerland, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Dubbed “Liberation Day” tariffs, they apply to all imports entering the United States, impacting $3 trillion worth of goods.

The post comes after Trump praised the Australian people while, at the same time, arguing the United States should protect its own farmers.

President Donald Trump arrives to sign an executive order in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on April 8, 2025. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

“Well Australians are wonderful people, wonderful everything, but they ban American beef. Yet, we imported $3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone,” he said.

“They won’t take any of our beef, they don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers. And you know what? I don’t blame them. But we are doing the same thing right now starting midnight tonight I would say.”

Trump argues that global tariffs will ensure fair trade, protect American workers, and reduce the trade deficit by asking other countries to “follow the golden rule on trade: treat us like we treat you.”

How Much Beef Does Australia Export to the United States

Australia exported 394,716 tonnes of beef to the United States in 2024 worth $4.16 billion, according to stats compiled by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

The United States imports about 15 percent of its beef from overseas, with the remainder being locally produced. Most are from Canada, Mexico, and Australia.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates the major type of beef, 70 to 80 percent, exported to the United States is lean grinding beef. It also imports the more premium Wagyu beef from Australia.

While the new tariff is becoming a domestic political issue and weighing on local markets, the Australian Treasury predicted on April 7 that their impact on the economy would be modest.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers asked the secretary of the Treasury to release modelling spelling out how the economy will react.

“The effects on the Australian economy are expected to be modest, however, some parts of the agriculture, energy, mining, and durable manufacturing sectors will be more adversely affected than others,” the analysis states.

“However, this modelling does not fully capture the negative impact of trade hostilities. It does not capture the impact of uncertainty, volatility in financial and economic markets, or the potential for additional trade disruptions,” Treasury added.

Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is predicted to fall by 0.1 percent and inflation to increase by 0.2 percent due to the tariffs, according to the Treasury.

“Over the medium-term, Australia’s GDP is permanently lower, while the effect on inflation is temporary,” it said.

The treasury suggested that the impacts of tariffs on GDP in China would be higher than in Australia.

“The effects on GDP in China and other countries facing relatively high U.S. tariffs are also expected to be significant. Retaliatory actions further amplifies the impacts. GDP in China is estimated to be around 0.6 percent lower relative to a no tariff scenario, almost entirely reflecting the U.S. tariff changes,”

China was hit with a 34 percent U.S. tariff on “Liberation Day” and responded with the same on all U.S. goods. Trump is now threatening to impose an additional 50 percent tariff.

The EU, on the other hand, has offered to negotiate with the United States on zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods