Brussels: The European Union said on Thursday that it is committed to strengthening trade relations with Australia as a strategic partner that shares the same values with the EU. According to Kuwait News Agency, the European Commission stated that the EU's chief trade negotiator Maros Sefcovic and European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen are preparing to hold talks with Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell next week. The discussions will focus on determining duty-free quotas for imports of Australian beef. The EU seeks to set a threshold of no more than 30,000 tonnes per year, whereas Australia is advocating for a quota of up to 40,000 tonnes. Negotiations between Brussels and Canberra had collapsed in 2023 after five years of lengthy talks covering a wide range of issues, with disputes centering on agricultural and livestock products, particularly beef and lamb. These discussions come amid Europe's efforts to conclude agreements with other global partners following tariffs imposed by US Pr esident Donald Trump. It is noted that the EU recently concluded two agreements that took nearly two decades of negotiations, the first with the South American Mercosur bloc and the second with India. The EU is Australia's third-largest trading partner after China and Japan, while Australia ranks twentieth among the EU's largest trading partners.
