Andrew Liveris: from Darwin to Donald Trump’s trusted inner circle

Darwin-born Andrew Liveris has been appointed as head of newly created American Manufacturing Council.

Donald Trump introduces Andrew Liveris in Michigan on Saturday.

Darwin-born businessman Andrew Liveris will have the ear of US president-elect Donald Trump after his surprise appointment as the head of Mr Trump’s newly created American Manufacturing Council.

In a development that observers said should have positive ramifications for Australia, Mr Liveris — chief executive of US industrial giant Dow Chemical — will help guide the incoming Trump administration’s efforts to reinvigorate the country’s manufacturing sector.

Mr Liveris is one of the most senior Australian businessmen in the world, with Dow generating almost $US50 billion ($67.1bn) in sales a year and ranked as one of the biggest companies in the US.

“It’s a good appointment for Australia because it puts an Australian at the heart of one of the Trump administration’s priorities, which is to rebuild the American manufacturing industry,” said Innes Willox, head of the Australian Industry Group.

“He will be able to provide insights and Australia should benefit from that knowledge that he collects and there’s the potential, of course, for Australian industry to benefit if a President Trump is able to boost American manufacturing because it’s important that Australian manufacturing accesses global supply chains.”

Mr Willox also said Mr Trump’s creation of a manufacturing council — to advise the US secretary of commerce on how to reinvigorate and strengthen the manufacturing industry — should be followed in Australia.

“There’s been a long period in Australia where policymakers have neglected manufacturing as a core part of the economy,” he said. “The idea of a national champion for manufacturing ... is a really positive one.”

Mr Liveris’s appointment was announced by Mr Trump during a rally in Michigan, where Mr ­Liveris is based.

“You watch Andrew, you watch his friends, you watch what’s going to happen,” Mr Trump told the crowd as he ­announced the appointment, noting that Mr Liveris had come “all the way from Australia”. He held up the Dow chief executive as an example of a new generation of business leaders who cared about US workers.

Mr Liveris previously had close ties to the Democrats, having been appointed by President Barack Obama to co-chair the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, while Dow under Mr ­Liveris has also been a supporter of the Clinton Global Initiative.