Labor minister Ed Husic labels US tariff decision as a ‘dog act’ against Australia

Labor minister Ed Husic said the Trump administration’s decision not to exempt Australia from US tariffs was a decision that defies “facts and reality”.

Industry Minister Ed Husic has labelled the decision to impose tariff exemptions on Australia’s US steel and aluminium imports as a “dog act” which will likely threaten the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

Mr Husic’s comments were the strongest from the government to date, after the White House overnight confirmed Australia would be included in the sweeping 25 per cent levies which kick from Wednesday.

“Let’s call a spade a spade. I think this is a dog act after over a century of friendship,” he told ABC.

“Australians have stood by and stood with Americans for many, many decades. In fact, Australians have spilt blood alongside Americans in different conflicts.

“We have stood together, not just from a national security perspective, but from an economic security perspective as well … because it’s good for economies and it’s good for workers when done right.”

The White House says Australia will not get an exemption from US tariffs on steel and aluminium. Picture: NewsWire / Jim Watson / POOL / AFP

While Mr Husic acknowledged the tariffs would ultimately penalise US importers, he said the decision to apply the tariffs “defy facts and reality”.

“Frankly at the end of the day, when you look at it, Australian steel and aluminium is priced globally for its quality,” he said.

“It has a lot of markets, it reaches a lot of markets and ultimately if the US wants to pay more for a quality product it is on them but it is no way to treat an ally and friend.”

Although Anthony Albanese has said Australia will not impose retaliation tariffs – as it would hurt Australian businesses – Mr Husic said he believed Australians “do need to speak up for out nation”.

“Again there is no point (in) us pussyfooting around. When a decision has been made contrary to our nation’s interest, we should stand up and speak up on that, as the Prime Minister has, and not engage in political games the way Peter Dutton has,” he said.

Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic accused the US of a ‘dog act’ which would threaten Australia’s longstanding friendship with the US. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Wednesday’s shock news comes after Mr Trump previously said a potential exemption was “under consideration”.

But overnight, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump had “considered it and considered against it”.

“There will be no exemptions,” she told the Nine papers after a briefing.

Pressed on why Australia – a key defence, intelligence and trade partner – was not given an exemption, Ms Leavitt said: “America-first steel.”

“If they want to be exempted, they should consider moving steel manufacturing here,” she said.

The decision came as the Trump administration flip-flopped on enormous 50 per cent tariffs on Canada – another key ally of both Australia and the US.

Mr Trump made the threat against his northern neighbour after a Canadian province said it would hike cross-border energy prices in response to US imposts.

Provincial authorities in Ontario backed down, as did Mr Trump, reverting to the original 25 per cent.

Dutton lays blame on PM

Peter Dutton has also led criticism of the Albanese government for ailing to secure an exemption from blanket US tariffs on steel and aluminium, calling the Prime Minister “weak and incompetent”.

With the federal election looming, the Opposition Leader on Wednesday took the opportunity to spruik himself as best placed to deal with the turbulence of a Trump administration.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is ‘weak and incompetent’ for failing to secure a tariff carve out. Picture: NewsWire / Richard Dobson

“The Prime Minister needed to get this right and he didn’t,” Mr Dutton told reporters in Brisbane, adding that Mr Albanese had instead “made our country less safe”.

“This is a bad day for Australia, and a bad day because of the decision our ally in America has made.

“But even worse because the Prime Minister is on his knees and can’t even get a phone call or a meeting with the President of the United States, our closest ally.

“It says something about the Prime Minister’s inability to govern and Australians can’t afford three more years of this.”

He said the opposition did not believe an exemption for Australia “wasn’t possible”.

“We negotiated an outcome with America when the Coalition was in government in 2018 and this prime minister has failed because the President won’t take the call or grant a meeting with Anthony Albanese,” he said.

“It shows how incompetent and how hopeless this prime minister is.”

Mr Albanese said Mr Dutton’s comments were “opportunistic”.

“The role of Leader of the Opposition isn’t to oppose Australia’s interests, and he should be backing Australia rather than backing the Trump Administration,” he told 2GB.

“He never takes an opportunity to actually show that he’s an adult and is fit to be the alternative Prime Minister, he consistently takes an opportunistic road.

“He knows that every single country in the world has been subject to this at least 25 per cent tariff, in Canada’s case, it may well be more.”

Malcolm Turnbull locked in an Australian exemption from identical tariffs during the first Trump administration in 2018.

The former prime minister struck the deal some nine months after they came into force.

But Mr Turnbull has been calling on Australian leaders to stand up to Mr Trump, and this week labelled the US leader’s brand of politics “wrong morally”.

‘Entirely unjustified’

Mr Albanese has declared Mr Trump’s decision “entirely unjustified”.

Speaking to reporters in Sydney, he said the move was “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”.

“The United States decision to impose tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium as part of a global decision is concerning,” Mr Albanese said.

“It has been foreshadowed that no country regardless of its relationship with the United States has been granted an exemption.

“Such a decision by the Trump administration is entirely unjustified.”

Mr Albanese says US President Donald Trump’s decision not to exclude Australia from tariffs is ‘entirely unjustified’. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

He went on to say “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,” he said.

“We will advocate for Australian trade with the United States at every level and through every channel.

“Australia will continue working hard for a different outcome, and discussions with the Trump administration are ongoing.”

Mr Albanese ruled out counter-tariffs, warning that doing so would only escalate trade tensions and add to inflation pressures.

“They are paid by the consumers,” he said.

“This is why Australia will not be imposing reciprocal tariffs on the United States.

“Such a course of action would only push up prices for Australian consumers and increase inflation.”

He vowed his government would “always stand up for Australian jobs and Australian industries”.

“All Australians, of course, can join this effort and support our industries by taking the opportunity to buy Australian and the March budget will provide additional support for our Buy Australian campaign, which we will be announcing as part of that budget process.”

‘Economic self-harm’

Senior government ministers have responded similarly to Mr Albanese, with Penny Wong saying the tariffs were “not the way to treat a friend and partner”.

But the Foreign Minister said Australia-US alliance was deeper than any one presidency.

“The alliance has stood firm, stood strong over many decades, and America remains our principal strategic partner,” Senator Wong told Sky.

“We are adult and mature, and we understand the importance of the alliance.

“The point we’re making is that these tariffs are not good for Americans, and they’re not consistent with the friendship and, frankly, beneficial economic relationship that our two countries have had.”

Meanwhile, Richard Marles called Mr Trump’s decision “economic self-harm”.

The Deputy Prime Minister said it was “really disappointing” but the Albanese government would “keep advocating” for an Australian carve out.

“Tariffs don’t make any sense, it’s an act of kind of economic self-harm,” Mr Marles told Sydney-based talkback 2GB.

“We’ll be able to find other markets for our steel and our aluminium and we have been diversifying those markets.

“But we’re obviously really disappointed with this.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has called the Trump administration’s decision an act of ‘economic self-harm’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

‘Pick up the phone’

The opposition has sought to frame trade talks as a test for the Albanese government, pointing to the deal struck by Mr Turnbull seven years ago.

Coalition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said her “concern is that not everything has been done to remedy the situation”.

“Has the Prime Minister been to the States? No,” she said.

“Has the Trade Minister been over there? He said he was going over this week and failed to do so.

“We have 24 hours. I’m urging the Prime Minister to pick up the phone. Our economy is not resilient.

“We are entirely dependent on a strong US economy and our concern is that our aluminium and steel manufacturing sectors here will suffer … if these tariffs go ahead.

“So for the sake of Team Australia, we would urge the Prime Minister to pick up the phone.”

Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume has urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ‘pick up the phone’. NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Originally published as Labor minister Ed Husic labels US tariff decision as a ‘dog act’ against Australia