‘Bad day’: Peter Dutton lashes Anthony Albanese amid Donald Trump’s Aussie tariff blow
Peter Dutton has accused Anthony Albanese of letting Australians down by not securing an exemption from Donald Trump’s sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium.
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Peter Dutton has accused Anthony Albanese of letting Australians down by not securing an exemption from Donald Trump’s sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium.
“It’s obvious that Anthony Albanese and Kevin Rudd have had a shocker,” Mr Dutton told reporters in Brisbane.
“The Prime Minister can’t secure a phone call, let alone a meeting with the President of the United States.
“And how on earth can an outcome be negotiated if the President won’t even take the Prime Minister’s call.”
The Opposition Leader said it was a “bad day for Australia”, with jobs now “at risk”.
“The President won’t even pick up the phone when Anthony Albanese calls. He can’t even get a meeting, which is why the Prime Minister hasn’t gone to the US,” he said.
‘ENTIRELY UNJUSTIFIED’: ALBO SLAMS TARIFF BLOW
Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium imports is “entirely unjustified,” says Anthony Albanese as he vows to continue lobbying the US President for an exemption.
The Prime Minister criticised the US decision, but said Australia would not be retaliating as it would risk further economic turmoil for both nations.
“This is against the spirit of our two nations’ enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefit of our economic partnership that has delivered over more than 70 years,” he said.
“Australia has no tariffs on goods from the United States and, of course, we have a free trade agreement with the United States.
“Our government will continue to put forward a very strong case for an exemption, noting that the last time this occurred it took months for that exemption to be granted.”
Mr Albanese said his government would advocate for Australian trade with United States at “every level through every channel”.
“Australia will work hard for a different outcome and discussions with the Trump Administration are ongoing,” he said.
“Our government is prepared and has been engaging directly with the Australian steel and aluminium industry and will continue to work through this with them.”
Mr Albanese confirmed he had put in a request for another conversation with Mr Trump, as he rejected suggestions Australia might have achieved a carve out from the tariffs if he had travelled to the US to meet with the President.
“No country has been exempted, not France, not the United Kingdom,” he said in reference to some of the allies who had visited Mr Trump at the White House in the last few weeks.
Asked if he was “angry” at Mr Trump’s decision, Mr Albanese said it was “disappointing”.
“Australia has a close relationship with the United States,” he said.
“Friends need to act in a way that reinforces to our respective populations the fact that we are friends.
“This is not a friendly act.”
Mr Albanese said it was “important” to note the tariff had been imposed on every country.
“So in terms of the competition aspect, every country’s exports on aluminum and steel into the United States will have the same tariff,” he said.
Mr Albanese said the “interests” of the US were “not served” by its decision to impose the tariffs.
AUSSIE BUSINESS SECTOR REACTS TO NO EXEMPTION
Australian industry group chief executive Innes Willox said the failure to secure an exemption was “disappointing but not unexpected”.
“The decision does send an unfortunate signal about the broader state of the economic relationship between our two countries and sets the scene for more uncertainty in the period ahead,” he said.
“Despite the advocacy efforts of industry and government agencies, it is very clear the US administration is in a different headspace to the last time we faced the imposition of tariffs. “Parts of the administration are particularly emboldened and the geopolitical situation is different, narrowing the window for Australian advocacy.”
Mr Willox said while Australia did not achieve a “country exemption” from similar tariffs imposed by Mr Trump during his first term in 2018, limits on product lines “had the same ultimate effect”.
“This time the proposed tariffs are more expansive and complex, such that carving out an exemption would not be straightforward,” he said.
“Any product that is not specifically listed for a new tariff, but contains a percentage of steel or aluminium in it, will receive the new tariffs on that proportion.
“This will capture a broad set of high-value Australian exports containing metals, and the impact won’t be immediately obvious.
“If implemented, the tariffs will be devilishly difficult to implement and monitor.”
Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black said Australia should adopt a “cool-headed response” to the tariff news and “keep making the case for our interests through continued extensive engagement with the US Administration”.
“In 2023, the combined value of aluminium and steel exports to the United States was less than $1 billion, and Australian aluminium makes up 2.5 per cent of US imports by volume and about one per cent of Australia’s total exports, with steel less than half that,” he said.
“It’s important to remember that it took eight months for the Australian Government to secure tariff exemptions under the last Trump administration — what this tells us is that these discussions are complex and that patience and persistence are key.”
Mr Black said his main concern was the “broader trade picture” and the “risk that lies ahead for our economy if a global contest of reciprocal tariffs were to escalate”.
“Fundamentally, we’re a trading nation, and so opening up and retaining unimpeded access to global markets increases our economic growth and supports local jobs,” he said.
BLUESCOPE ‘DISAPPOINTED’ NO TARIFF EXEMPTION
Australian steel producer Bluescope is “disappointed” to not have received an exemption from US tariffs given its decades-long investment in America.
In a statement on Wednesday the company said the tariffs would affect approximately 300 kilo tonnes per annum of BlueScope’s Australian exports to the US.
“A tariff exemption was negotiated during President Trump’s first term,” a spokesman said.
“We are disappointed not to have received similar exemption status, for now.”
The spokesman said Bluescope was working closely with the Australian trade and diplomatic staff in Canberra and in Washington DC, as well as a wide range of senior representatives in Congress to “ensure the BlueScope investment proposition is fully understood”.
“BlueScope has been investing in the US for over 30 years and has approximately $5 billion invested across 16 States in America,” he said.
“The company employs more than 4000 American steelworkers.
“BlueScope produces more than 3 million tonnes of steel per annum at its NorthStar BlueScope plant in Delta, Ohio.
“As the US tariffs come into effect the Company expects to see the positive impact from an improvement in steel prices.”
WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS NO EXEMPTION FOR AUSTRALIA
The White House confirmed today Australia will not be granted an exemption from Mr Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Mr Trump has considered a request by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for an exemption but “considered against it”.
The confirmation comes after multiple attempts by Australian leaders to negotiate a carve out from the 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium due to come into effect tomorrow.
Asked why Australia would not be exempt, as it was under the previous Trump administration, Ms Leavitt said: “American-first steel. And if they want to be exempted, they should consider moving steel manufacturing here.”
The Albanese government maintains it remains in “discussion” with the US government about getting an exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs and “will have more to say” despite the White House ruling it out.
“The government has been working hard at all levels to secure an exemption,” a government spokesperson said.
“We remain in discussion with the United States Administration, and will have more to say.”
The confirmation came hours after Mr Trump threatened to hit Canadian steel and aluminium imports with tariffs of 50 per cent in a dramatic escalation of the trade war between the neighbours.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the US decision is “disappointing” but that the Albanese government would “keep advocating” for a Canberra carve out.
“Obviously, it’s really disappointing news,” Mr Marles told Sydney-based talkback 2GB.
“Tariffs don’t make any sense. It’s an act of kind of economic self-harm.
“We’ll be able to find other markets for our steel and our aluminium, and we have been diversified in those markets.
“But, you know, we’re obviously really disappointed with this.”
He noted that the exemption negotiated by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull during the first Trump administration landed some nine months into the tariffs.
“So we’ll keep pressing the case,” Mr Marles said.
“We’ll keep diversifying our own trade. But look, there’s no hiding this. We’re really disappointed with the decision.”
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PLANS ‘COUNTERMEASURES’
The European Commission said it would impose “countermeasures” from April 1 in response to US tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminium imports.
“We deeply regret this measure,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement about the US tariffs, as Brussels announced it would be “launching a series of countermeasures” in response to the “unjustified trade restrictions”.
“Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy,” she said.
Von der Leyen estimated the US tariffs were worth $28 billion and the European Union’s response would affect the same amount of US products.
MOVE PROMPTS CANADA BACKFLIP
In a furious response to plans by Ontario to impose 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on electricity exports to the US, Mr Trump doubled the steel tariff, threatened to shut down Canada’s car manufacturing and reiterated his plans to make the country America’s 51st state.
The move prompted a backflip from Ontario Premier Doug Ford who lifted the electricity tariff after a “productive” conversation with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“And can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use electricity, that so affects the life of innocent people, as a bargaining chip and threat?, Mr Trump wrote online before Mr Ford’s concession.
“They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in history books for many years to come!”.
In a phone call with Mr Albanese in mid-February, the American President agreed to consider an exemption, telling reporters Australia was one of the only countries the US held a trade surplus with.
“And I told (Mr Albanese) that that’s something that we’ll give great consideration to,” Mr Trump said.
But securing an exemption appeared less likely after Mr Trump’s senior trade adviser subsequently accused Australia of “killing the aluminium market”.
“Australia is crushing, just crushing — with the help of China — our aluminium sector,” Peter Navarro told Fox News.
“The President says no more country exemptions, no more product exclusions.
“We’re going to run into a beautiful golden age.”
ALBANESE ACCUSED OF FAILING WORKERS
Experts had tipped Australia was in a strong position to negotiate an exemption, citing America’s consistent trade surplus with its ally.
But that argument took a hit this week when new trade data showed Australia’s first monthly surplus with the United States in more than forty years, driven by gold exports to the country in the wake of Mr Trump’s election.
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said he was “exceptionally disappointed” the Prime Minister had not travelled to Washington to conduct the “critical task” of putting forward Australia’s case for an exemption.
“Albanese has failed Australian steel and aluminium workers,” he said.
“The Prime Minister is the only leader of the Quad and AUKUS who has not met face-to-face with President Trump. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have all met with President Trump.”
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil also said on Wednesday she was “not going to accept this as the situation yet”.
“We still have a little bit of time and lots of discussions continuing to happen,” she told Seven.
She also said that “whether tariffs are imposed or not, we have a very strong and very resilient economy here in Australia”.
“We have seen that time and time again where we have had global turmoil and the Australian government and the Australian people have managed to build and grow our way out of it,” Ms O’Neil said.
“So the first thing is strong economy, we’re going to survive and thrive no matter what happens here.
“The second thing is … our government has done absolutely everything possible to try to get us in the best situation.
“We’re in a world where Canada and Mexico, the two largest trading partners of the US, will have tariffs imposed.
“In Canada, perhaps even at 50 per cent. I think to put it mildly, we’re operating in a new context here.”
– with NewsWire
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Originally published as ‘Bad day’: Peter Dutton lashes Anthony Albanese amid Donald Trump’s Aussie tariff blow
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