Republicans in the US Congress are pushing for an investigation into Australian lamb imports to decide if they should be imposed with higher tariffs. The developments follow after President Trump promised new tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down many tariffs brought under ‘emergency’ legislation.
The republicans assert that imports have infiltrated the US lamb market due to the relaxed barriers. They call for investigations to ascertain if imports are causing substantial injury to the domestic sheep industry.
The bill proposes a 30% tariff on sheep and lamb products from Australia and New Zealand. The proposal includes two different options: passing a new law or enacting the tariff through existing trade laws unrelated to the Supreme Court ruling.
The US is Australia’s second-largest market for Australian sheep exports. In 2025, Australia exported sheep meat worth $1.6 billion to the US, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.
The proposed bill says that a 30% duty will be imposed on each sheep and lamb product from Australia and New Zealand. It will be in addition to any other applicable duty, meaning the tariff will rise to 40%, added to the 10% global tariff on Australian imports.