Trade Minister Don Farrell defends $10bn EU pact, claims red meat quotas no reason to block deal

Key points

• Trade Minister Don Farrell has defended the $10bn-a-year EU free trade deal, arguing the rest of the economy should not suffer because farmers did not win every demand. The deal removes tariffs on 98 per cent of Australian exports, but beef and sheep meat quotas fell short of what farmers wanted.
• Farrell said beef exports have doubled to $18bn since 2022. The Nationals, led by Matt Canavan, plan to block the agreement when it reaches parliament early next year, calling Farrell's reasoning a weak excuse.
• Business groups have backed the deal.