SYDNEY, July 26 - Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he will raise with U.S. President Donald Trump the new tariffs the United States imposed this week on a wide group of trading partners, including Australia.
The U.S. measures, announced on Friday, apply duties to imports from 60 trading partners. The administration said the action targeted countries it deemed to have failed to curb trade in goods produced with forced labour, and it came just as a temporary 10% global tariff lapsed.
Under the new measures, imports from Australia, together with those from 37 other nations, face a tariff of 12.5%. An additional 17 countries are subject to a 10% rate, and five nations have been given a mixed tariff rate.
The Albanese-led Labor government has publicly called the tariffs unjustified and is seeking their removal. Asked on Sunday whether he would pursue the matter with President Trump, Albanese replied, "absolutely." He added: "We’ll raise it at every level in the Australia-U.S. relationship, we’ve already done so."
Albanese pointed to Australia’s legal framework on modern slavery, noting the country has "very strong provisions" and that it is "strengthening those even further by going through the supply chain issues and making sure that indeed substantial fines and penalties can be paid."
The prime minister previously framed his engagement with the United States around "free and fair trade," and has made tariffs a central topic in his interactions with Washington since his centre-left government was returned in a landslide election victory last year. He raised the issue directly in a call with President Trump.
Canberra's push to have the tariffs removed will involve continued diplomatic engagement, according to Albanese, as Australia presses for what it considers fair treatment in the bilateral trade relationship. The immediate details of any follow-up discussions with the U.S. administration were not provided on Sunday.
Summary
Australia’s prime minister said he will press President Trump to address newly imposed U.S. tariffs that affect Australia and many other trading partners. Canberra regards the measures as unjustified and seeks their removal while emphasizing its own steps to strengthen modern slavery rules in supply chains.