Labor to blame for us being in Trump tariff firing line

It was always odds-on that Donald Trump was never going to let Australia off the hook when it came to the imposition of tariffs on our steel and aluminium supplies to the US.

The obvious reason here would be that Trump was not going to let any country off the hook, such is his belief in the imposition of tariffs.

However, it would appear that Australia was behind the eight-ball before all of this even started. Trade Minister Don Farrell seemed to be out of his depth so much so that as the decision on tariffs became imminent, he put up the white flag and remained in Australia.

Add to this the derogatory remarks about Trump from Anthony Albanese and Kevin Rudd and it was little wonder that Australia copped the tariffs. The mere fact that the Prime Minister never got on the phone or went to America to plead Australia’s case is a sure sign of poor leadership. Then again, after what the PM said about Trump, it is little wonder he did not wish to see him face to face. Once again Australia has been sadly let down by our PM, who promised so much prior to the last election and delivered so little except a bunch of inflation-feeding handouts that plunged Australia further into debt.

Peter D. Surkitt, Sandringham, Vic

The biggest tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel have not been imposed by Donald Trump but by Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen.

Labor’s energy policies, and the massive increase in energy prices that resulted, have made the production of these metals economically unviable in this country.

And the taxpayer subsidies Labor brought in to compensate for those high energy prices are actually the justification for Trump to impose his tariffs. He would see them, logically, as Australia subsidising our producers to give them an advantage over American producers. So our manufacturers lose both ways. All thanks to Labor.

Burt Bosma, Surrey Hills, Vic

It is time to put Australia’s loyalty and support of the US against the tariffs.

It is time to put a price on the US military bases here. We buy more from the US than we sell to them and still we get hit with tariffs. Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Indian cars are looking like a preferable choice – and all of these are out of our region.

Stuart Davie, Corowa, NSW

With Kevin Rudd as our “man on the ground” in Washington, it is no surprise that our application for a tariff exemption was rejected.

Was he even granted an interview with any senior official in the Trump administration? Probably not.

Peter Shergold, Kewarra Beach, Qld

Donald Trump’s successful Make America Great Again election campaign based on tariffs and the full exploitation of America’s resources has relevance for the Coalition in the coming election (“Forget Labor, what are the Liberals actually offering?”, 12/3).

While tariffs would not apply to Australia because we have little manufacturing to protect, we do have an immense, largely under-utilised competitive advantage in our globally significant uranium, gas and coal resources, which, through proper exploitation combined with energy market reforms, would drive down energy costs, increase exports, investment and productivity, and create the economic backbone appropriate for a major lift in defence.

The economically damaging renewables superpower initiative must be shelved and a new era of economic growth based on technology and pragmatism should be fundamental to Peter Dutton’s election campaign.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Trump’s tariffs on our aluminium exports “is no way to treat a partner and ally”.

I might remind the minister that her active abandonment and hostility toward Israel since the October 7, 2023 massacres is in fact “no way to treat a partner and ally”.

Lynda Morrison, Bicton, WA

Good to see Anthony Albanese rebuke Donald Trump, over the “unfriendly” decision to impose tariffs on us. It’s a shame our weak PM failed to rebuke Xi in a like manner for China’s navy’s recent unfriendly and provocative visit.

Tim Abrams, Beecroft, NSW