AMIC chief executive officer Tim Ryan. Photo: Supplied

THE Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) is calling for an independent audit amid spiralling agricultural export taxes being imposed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

AMIC Chief Executive Officer Tim Ryan said a two-year internal review by DAFF of its agricultural export costs recovery arrangements has resulted in a significant expansion of proposed levies, fees and charges aimed at Australian agricultural exporting businesses.

“DAFF is the exclusive provider of critical regulatory services that enable the sale of Australian meat to global markets. The cost of delivering these services has substantially outpaced inflation and an independent audit is warranted to determine how and why this has happened, and how it can be addressed without industry being used to foot the bill for the Government’s inefficiencies.”

Mr Ryan said DAFF’s review solely focussed on increasing revenue through expanded regulatory charges, without any analysis of its increasing expenses.

“The Government’s proposal is for Australian agricultural exporters to be taxed at an increasingly unsustainable level with no end in sight, systemically eroding Australia’s competitiveness in international markets.

“AMIC is calling for the Albanese Government to commit to an independent, transparent review of DAFF’s export cost recovery expenses.”

Mr Ryan said the current cost recovery proposal suggests the government is walking away from agricultural market access and productivity.

“DAFF is using cost recovery to cover its own escalating obligations. The so called ‘Securing the Future of Agricultural Trade’ measure moves critical market access work into industry funded cost recovery, despite this being a fundamental government responsibility. Australian meat exporters are already up against heavily subsidised global competitors, with lower or no government export fees. The Albanese Government is adding even more costs onto agribusinesses at a time of substantive global instability.”

Mr Ryan said “Australia’s meat industry is responding to significant losses and restrictions in accessing global markets, which include a cap on beef exports to China and major restrictions on trade to Indonesia. While industry continues to advocate for commercially meaningful access to the European Union, this has not yet been secured through a Free Trade Agreement.

“Industry should not be paying for DAFF to keep markets open or perform core government functions. If the department has a costs issue or a systemic budget shortfall the solution cannot be to shift costs to agricultural businesses.

Government must put its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting agricultural productivity and market access.”

DAFF released draft Cost Recovery Implementation Statements (CRIS) in late January 2026. This was the first opportunity industry stakeholders had to see the detail of government decisions and proposed increases in levies, fees and charges.

“We are now working with our members to review these details and encourage all businesses in the meat export supply chain to engage and make their position known before the consultation period closes on 20 March 2026.”

Source: AMIC