Australian live export industry

Australia is the world's largest live exporter of animals for slaughter. The trade involved over three million animals in 2011 valued at approximately A$1 billion, of which the majority were cattle and sheep. However, the live export trade only accounts for 0.4% of all Australian exports, as of 2014. Australia exports live cattle, sheep, goats, dairy cows, buffalo, and alpacas.

The export of live animals from Australia has generated some controversy, with animal rights organisations such as Animals Australia asking it to be banned on the grounds that certain countries where animals are shipped have no laws to protect them from cruelty. In 2011, the Gillard government briefly suspended the trade and came close to a ban. Exports have since resumed. The Albanese government is planning to phase out the live sheep trade. Australia will stop exporting live sheep from 1 May 2028. The National Farmers' Federation is opposed to the ban claiming it will damage diplomatic relationships.

The industry is regulated under the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 and the Export Control (Animals) Order 2004. Since 1985 at least ten government and parliamentary reviews have investigated live exports and its associated animal welfare issues. The first shipments of live sheep were exported from Western Australia to Mauritius and Singapore from 1845.

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