Donald Trump has referred to as Australia’s prime minister a “very fine man” and mentioned he would give “great consideration” to exempting the nation from his new 25% tariffs on metal and aluminium imports, after a telephone name between the 2 leaders.
It got here after feedback on Tuesday from the US president that there can be no exceptions or exemptions on the tariffs, which will begin on 12 March until Anthony Albanese can safe an exemption.
The official proclamation to impose the aluminium tariff appeared to clarify why Australia was not exempted from the outset, with the US accusing Australia of breaking a “verbal commitment” to restrict aluminium exports.
The brand new proclamation learn: “The volume of U.S. imports of primary aluminum from Australia has also surged and in 2024 was approximately 103% higher than the average volume for 2015 through 2017. Australia has disregarded its verbal commitment to voluntarily restrain its aluminum exports to a reasonable level.”
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull negotiated a carve out from metal and aluminium tariffs throughout Trump’s first time period.
Requested in regards to the proclamation on Tuesday evening, the deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, informed ABC’s 7.30: “I can’t speak for the former government, in terms of what it did or didn’t do … but in the discussion that was had today, in the president’s own press conference, having signed the executive order, he made clear that Australian exemptions to this order would be under active consideration. And that’s where this is now at.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Albanese mentioned his second name with Trump had been a “very positive and constructive discussion”, which canvassed the Aukus defence pact, vital minerals and international funding between the 2 international locations.
Albanese mentioned he had additionally made the case for Australia to be exempted from tariffs and was hopeful of such an consequence.
“If you have a look at what we’ve achieved already, it’s been a tremendous start to the relationship,” Albanese informed a press convention in Parliament Home.
Minutes later, the White Home introduced that the president was signing govt orders to put a 25% tariff on the imports, stepping up a long-promised commerce struggle.
Trump initially mentioned the tariffs can be imposed with out exceptions however then confirmed he was giving “great consideration” to an Australian carve-out.
Requested about his name with Albanese, Trump referred to as the Australian chief “a very fine man” and famous the US commerce surplus with Australia.
“We have a surplus with Australia, one of the few … I told him that [exemptions] is something we will give great consideration,” Trump mentioned.
The opposition chief, Peter Dutton, additionally publicly urged the Trump administration to exempt Australia from tariffs, claiming any transfer on the contrary would “damage the relationship” between the 2 international locations.
“Tariffs are not warranted against Australia because we have a trade surplus,” he mentioned.
Australian politicians have been rocked on Monday when Trump informed reporters within the US that he deliberate to announce new tariffs on all metal and aluminium arriving in America.
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The Labor authorities been bracing for such a choice after Trump levelled related tariffs in his first time period, with senior ministers and officers working behind the scenes for a while to safe exemptions like these secured by the then-Coalition authorities after months of negotiations in 2018.
“Our aluminium is a critical input for manufacturing in the United States,” Albanese mentioned on Tuesday after his name with Trump. “Our steel and aluminium are both key inputs for the US-Australia defence industries in both of our countries.
“I presented Australia’s case for an exemption and we agreed on wording to say publicly, which is that the US president agreed that an exemption was under consideration in the interests of both of our countries.”
Albanese wouldn’t reveal extra in regards to the course of by which the exemption can be thought of, the timeline by which a choice can be reached, or what Australia would do if the exemption was finally rejected. He mentioned he wouldn’t communicate for Trump however once more referred warmly to the Australia-US relationship.
“What I envisage is continuing to act to respond diplomatically,” he mentioned. “That’s how you get things done. My government’s got a record of getting things done in Australia’s national interest. I’ll continue to do so.”
A US congressman has hit out at any try and slap tariffs on Australian merchandise.
Joe Courtney, a Democratic politician and co-chair of the Associates of Australia Caucus,, famous that Australia had simply this week begun sending funds to Washington as a part of the Aukus pact to assist bolster the US submarine building program.
“What we’re seeing is a completely needless, almost insult to the people of Australia by raising tariffs of Australian products coming into this country,” Courtney mentioned.
The shadow commerce minister, Kevin Hogan, steered that the federal government ought to “reach out to whoever may help” Australia safe exemptions, together with the previous Coalition politicians Scott Morrison and Joe Hockey.
“I encourage the prime minister and indeed ambassador [Kevin] Rudd to talk to people like Morrison, people like Hockey,” he informed the ABC. “We had a precedent when we got an exemption, they should be using those resources.”
