Agriculture exports top $82bn in 2025 as Trump tariff threat looms

Australia’s agricultural exports will increase by 12 percent to $82 billion in 2025; The Albanian government has sought to diversify as Donald Trump’s threat of renewed 15 percent global tariffs grows.

The US President threatened to impose an even higher tariff on global trade over the weekend after the country’s powerful Supreme Court struck down a 10 percent levy.

Speaking in the predominantly agricultural city of Albury on Monday, Anthony Albanese said the federal government would make “appropriate representations” to its U.S. counterparts.

“We reiterate our view that these tariffs are unfair,” he said.

“We support free and fair trade, that’s what we support, including our agricultural products.”

Despite trade tensions, the US remained Australia’s second-largest agricultural importer in 2025, accepting a whopping $10.2 billion worth of products that year alone, new data shows.

This figure also includes agricultural, fishing and forestry products.

China became Australia’s largest importer, excluding Taiwan, with products worth $18.5 billion in 2025.

Australia’s Asian neighbors Japan, Indonesia and South Korea were in the top five with imports of 4.5-6 billion dollars.

The European Union, with which Australia has been negotiating for a long time for a free trade agreement, accepted goods worth $4 billion.

This comes as the Albanian government seeks to continue diversifying Australian exports by opening ever more markets for Australian agricultural products; Approximately 190 markets will accept imports in 2025.

“The Albanian Labor government has worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for our farmers and producers to export our world-class products,” said Agriculture Minister Julie Collins.

“Market access for our farmers and producers is the most diverse it has ever been, providing our farmers with the best platform for continued growth.”

The government plans to open or improve market access in the 2025-26 fiscal year, including for blueberries to Vietnam, animal feed and wheat to Indonesia, apples to Canada and alcoholic beverages to Japan.

It builds on the 256 market access “successes” achieved since his appointment; This includes 34 new markets and regaining access to 18 previously lost markets.

Beef is Australia’s biggest export

In 2025, beef and veal remained Australia’s largest agricultural export, with an estimated value of $18.7 billion shipped overseas.

Wheat ranked second with almost 10 billion dollars, while wine ranked second with 2.4 billion dollars.

Dried shelled chickpeas and milk and cream concentrate were worth about $1.5 billion each.

Agricultural exports have increased by 38 per cent since 2021, the last year of the former Coalition government.

But over the past year, Albania’s government has faced ongoing challenges under Mr. Trump’s global tariff regime.

Australia first faced a 10 per cent base tariff under the April 2025 tariffs, which were struck down by the Supreme Court last week.

However, beef was excluded from this regime.

Meat and Livestock Australia General Manager Michael Crowley said on Monday that beef would be exempt under the 15 per cent tariff.

But sheep and goat meat will be subject to the regime and Mr Crowley said he would work with the federal government to administer the new regime.

“The United States was Australia’s number one export market for beef, lamb and goat meat in 2025, demonstrating the importance of this trading relationship for our producers and the wider red meat supply chain,” he said.

On January 1, China implemented a safeguard duty on beef imports that exceed quota levels, which is expected to last for three years.

The Albanian government had previously ended years of trade tensions by ending China’s ban on two Australian beef exporters in 2024.