Australia contacts trade partners to avoid LSD domino effect

Both countries paused exports from four Australian facilities pending further testing of animals after a small number of exported cattle were detected with the disease.

Although Malaysia is a very small market for Australian beef, it's feared the move will spook larger customers such as Vietnam and China.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud questioned if Agriculture Minister Murray Watt or Trade Minister Don Farrell "bothered to pick the phone" to other nations and reassure them.

"Your international reputation is one thing that gives you currency in trading and is securing premiums for our producers, so it's important that you protect that," Mr Littleproud said.

"It's particularly countries like Vietnam, that we need to make sure they have full confidence that we don't have LSD, otherwise we will pay an economic price and our producers will be at the forefront of that."

But the Albanese government was quick to dismiss Mr Littleproud's concerns.

"Since Indonesia's decision to pause export from four facilities, government officials have had urgent consultation with our trading partners to reassure them of our LSD-free status," a government spokesperson said.

"We continue to engage with industry stakeholders and our overseas counterparts to advise that LSD is not present in Australia.

"Australian livestock products continue to be traded, and the detection of LSD in cattle of Australian-origin post arrival in Indonesia does not affect the animal health status of Australia."

Ag Minister Murray Watt said the initial results of the tests were beginning to come through and so far there was nothing to indicate Australia had LSD.

"But our biosecurity officials are urgently working with both Malaysia and Indonesia to meet their requirements, to demonstrate conclusively that we don't have lumpy skin disease, and we hope to see that trade reopen as quickly as possible," Senator Watt said.