Anthony Albanese talks critical minerals in ‘warm’ chat with Trump ahead of US visit
The Prime Minister had his fourth phone call with Donald Trump discussing economic co-operation, trade and critical minerals but not AUKUS.
Anthony Albanese has spoken with Donald Trump for the fourth time since the US President was re-elected last November, with the two leaders discussing economic co-operation, trade and critical minerals at a key time for the alliance relationship.
The phone call will boost hopes of a much anticipated meeting between both leaders, with Mr Albanese set to travel shortly to New York where he will address the UN General Assembly and officially recognise the State of Palestine – a point of policy conflict with Washington.
Posting on social media, the Australian Prime Minister said that he had “another warm and constructive conversation with President @realDonaldTrump. We discussed our trade and economic relationship as well as areas for growth including critical minerals.”
“We also discussed shared US-Australia security interests,” he said.
An Australian read-out of the conversation said that both men discussed the “strength of our relationship and the importance of our shared security interests.”
However, there was no mention of the landmark AUKUS agreement under which the US has agreed to provide Australia with at least three Virginia-class submarines from the early 2030s.
The trilateral AUKUS agreement between the US, UK and Australia is currently being reviewed by the Pentagon – heightening fears that the Trump administration could seek to modify the deal.
Mr Albanese has not yet met face-to-face with the US President, but is travelling to New York later this month to address the UN General Assembly in what could present another opportunity for an in person encounter between the two leaders.
The Australian Prime Minister has previously said that he is available for a meeting with Mr Trump at “very short notice, at any time” and that Australia would continue to engage with the US.
Speaking in August, Mr Albanese said the US President had given him a “very warm phone conversation after my re-election as Prime Minister, and made some public comments about what he thought, that was very generous, and I thank him for it.”
Australia’s alliance relationship with the US faces a period of uncertainty. In addition to the Pentagon’s review of the AUKUS agreement, Canberra has rejected consistent American demands for defence spending to be lifted to 3.5 per cent of GDP and the Albanese government has criticised the imposition by Washington of a baseline ten per cent tariff on Australia.
Previous attempts for Mr Albanese to meet with the US President have fallen through including at June’s G7 summit in Canada, where Mr Trump left early to return to Washington to oversee the American response to the unfolding crisis in the Middle East – with the President eventually ordering the prevision bombing of Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.
The pair first spoke shortly after Mr Trump’s November 2024 election win, with Mr Albanese saying at the time that he had personally congratulated the US President on his victory.
“We talked about the importance of the Alliance, and the strength of the Australia-US relationship in security, AUKUS, trade and investment,” Mr Albanese said. “I look forward to working together in the interests of both our countries.”
They spoke for a second time in February for 40 minutes ahead of the introduction of Mr Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs in April, with Mr Albanese describing their conversation as “warm” and “positive.”
The pair talked about AUKUS and the economic relationship, with Mr Trump later describing the Australian Prime Minister as a “very fine man.” He also said he would give “great consideration” to exempting Australia from his steel and aluminium tariffs – although this was an outcome that never came to pass.
In May, the leaders spoke again after Mr Albanese’s election victory. AUKUS and tariffs were, once again, two of the issues discussed. “I had a warm and positive conversation with President Trump ... and I thank him for his very warm message of congratulations,“ Mr Albanese said.
“We talked about how AUKUS and tariffs will continue to engage, we will engage with each other on a face-to-face basis at some time in the future. And I thank him for reaching out in such a positive way.”
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