Anyone who has played sports at a competitive level knows that streaks happen — both losing streaks and winning streaks.
And anyone who has paid even a modicum of attention to the first six months of Donald Trump's presidency knows that this president remains on a winning streak the likes of which no other president in U.S. history has experienced.
Or should I say "made happen"? Yeah, that's better — and much more accurate.
The latest win in Trump's incredible winning streak comes from Down Under with the left-wing Labor government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pulling off and incredible and surprising backflip by announcing the end of all restrictions against American beef imports in a move Trump's White House hailed as a major victory over “non-scientific trade barriers” that had left U.S. farmers “on the sidelines” for two decades.
Albanese had staunchly vowed in April to stand firm and not to give in while Trump demanded full access for all U.S. beef. In other words, given the prime minister's backflip: Trump 1, Albanese: 0. Final score.
Australia’s Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said in a statement seen by AP that lifting the restrictions – originally put in place as part of an effort to protect the country from mad cow disease – would mean a more open and competitive marketplace Down Under.
Australia stands for open and free trade — our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins congratulated Trump in a statement under the headline "Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins" for achieving a "major trade breakthrough that enables U.S. beef producers to expand their access to the Australian market," adding:
American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world. It’s absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years.
Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines. This is yet another example of the kind of market access the President negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way.
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Australia's move follows a decade-long, science-based review and enhanced U.S. biosecurity controls that now allow for better traceability of cattle across the U.S. and Canada, although I'd venture a solid guess that while Australian officials emphasized that the decision was based on science, it comes following recent U.S. tariffs on Australian goods announced by Trump.
Trump criticized Australian import restrictions on U.S. beef in April as he announced that tariffs of at least 10 percent would be placed on Australian imports, with tariffs on steel and aluminum at 50 percent.
Trump told reporters at the time:
Australia bans — and they’re wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef. Yet we imported $3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.
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, I don’t blame them, but we’re doing the same thing right now.
And just like that, no more Australian tariffs on U.S. beef.
Coincidence? Of course not.