A livestock exporter's voluntary suspension of trade to the Middle East during its summer months is a response to "over the top" new regulations that make it unprofitable, an industry leader says.
Livestock Shipping Services is focusing on South America for the moment while it reviews its Australian sheep export business in light of the new rules, which followed the Awassi Express scandal and slashed stocking densities by 28 per cent.
Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia president Tony Seabrook said the rules were onerous enough to be considered a de facto ban of the northern hemisphere summer trade.
"The regulations that have been put in place are so over the top and the diminution in the stocking rates on board have reached the point now where there's stacks of room in the pens but the shipping company can't run it at a profit," he told 6PR on Wednesday.
"For those reasons, they've pulled out."
Mr Seabrook also said it was "absolutely unbelievable" West Australian Agriculture Department officials raided the West Perth offices of Emanuel Exports, which was behind the Awassi Express shipment, on Tuesday.
Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan wants to use state laws to prosecute Emanuel over the August journey to the Middle East on which thousands of sheep died of heat stress, but said the federal government is refusing to hand over export licence documents.
Mr Seabrook said the officials had confiscated telephones, files and computers, and searched cars.
"Basically what they've done is go in there and shut the company down," he said.
"It's highly unlikely they can operate with what's been taken away.
"They've just gone in there with a sledgehammer."
Premier Mark McGowan stood by his minister, saying he urged the industry to "lift their game".
"Some people in the industry actually recognise there's a problem," he told parliament.
Emanuel and LSS were contacted for comment.
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