Australian pub owners have hit back at Donald Trump after the US president imposed 10 per cent tariffs on products from the Down Under nation. Western Sydney pub owners Clayton Ries and Brett Davis are offering patrons a 10 per cent discount on steak, one of the most exported Australian food products to the US, according to a report in news.com.au
The pair is offering concessions to customers who order a (T)rump steak which comes with a side of Elon Mustard -- a play on the name of the billionaire, a close aide of the US president. The duo said they came up with the idea over a couple of beers where they got a "bit emotional about the taxes".
The pair said they wanted to give back to the customers and farmers who were already dealing with the cost of living crisis. However, they added that if Mr Trump stopped by, he would be charged double.
"(The farmers) are doing it tough, they had the floods up in Queensland, then throw the tariffs on top of that, it all just adds up," they said.
"We want to really support them and get behind them and make sure that we're also giving back to our customers and everyone with cost of living that we are all dealing with."
Apart from the steak and mustard, customers also get discounts on beer and house wine during happy hour at the Australian Hotel Brewery and Guildford Hotel this month.
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Australia-US trade relations
Australia currently exports beef worth $2.52 billion to the US annually, which is its largest market. However, US fresh beef products have been banned in Australia since 2003 after bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as mad cow disease was detected in American cattle.
President Trump has been particularly miffed by this trade imbalance, stating that Australia "won't take any of our beef" whilst announcing the tariffs.
"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, starting at midnight tonight, I would say," said Mr Trump.
In response to the tariffs, Australian beef farmers, traders and industry groups have said they would pass on the extra costs to the American consumer which could push up the prices of hamburgers and steaks.
