EU trade deal sells sheep producers short, fails on market access

Sheep Producers Australia has slammed the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement, describing it as one of the weakest trade outcomes for Australian sheepmeat in recent history.

This deal, which sells Australian sheep producers short, only offers just 25,000 tonnes cwt, over seven years – barely a third of what industry identified as a minimum requirement.

SPA Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Skinner said this deal - for sheepmeat- is largely unchanged from the deal Australia walked away from in 2023 and it does nothing to progress our national sheepmeat industry and the regional communities that rely on it.

“The increase in access is small and, critically, it does not unlock real commercial opportunities.” Ms Skinner said.

“Sheep producers deserve better access to markets of this value. For a premium market like the EU, this falls well short of what was needed.”

This agreement raises serious questions about how agriculture has been weighted in the broader trade-offs made during negotiations.

“We are told this is a deal for all Australians, but from the perspective of sheep producers and regional communities contributing to Australia’s food production and exports, it’s hard to see the benefit,” Ms Skinner said.

Ms Skinner said the outcome was particularly concerning in the context of heightened global focus on food security and growing global demand for high-quality protein.

“You can’t have a serious conversation about global food security while restricting access to efficient and reliable food producers,” she said.

“Australia’s sheep industry is well placed to contribute to global supply, but only if markets are genuinely open.”

“Australia’s sheep producers have been sold out.”