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Jennifer Hewett

Trump lumps allies in with enemies in tariff chaos

US tariffs on steel and aluminium look likely to embroil Australia. What’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to do when a US president doesn’t care about the impact on allies?

Jennifer HewettColumnist
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Tariff Man strikes again. Donald Trump’s impromptu confirmation he is about to impose a blanket 25 per cent tariff on all steel and aluminium imports will trigger a frenzy of diplomatic efforts to gain exemptions.

The direct impact on Australian exports remains unpredictable no matter how much the Albanese government cites AUKUS as a shield and emphasises Australia’s rare trade surplus and its free trade agreement with the US.

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Jennifer Hewett is the national affairs columnist. She writes a daily column on politics, business and the economy. Connect with Jennifer on Twitter. Email Jennifer at jennifer.hewett@afr.com
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    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/trump-lumps-allies-in-with-enemies-in-tariff-chaos-20250210-p5laua