TRANSCRIPT
“Australia is just killing our aluminum market, and the President Trump says, no, no, we're not, we're not doing that anymore. We're going back to where we were golden age of steel and aluminum, and that's what he's going to do.”
That’s Peter Navarro, Donald Trump's pick to be his Senior Counsellor for Trade... casting doubts on Australia's chances to secure an exemption from 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium exports to the US.
Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose the tariffs with no exceptions within hours of a phone call with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was pleading Australia’s case.
"The US president agreed that an exemption was under consideration, in the interests of both of our countries."
It seemed promising at first – and the President had some complementary words about Mr Albanese.
"I just spoke to him, very fine man, and he has a surplus. I mean, we have a surplus with Australia, one of the few. It's one of the only countries which we do, and I told him that that's something that we will give great consideration to."
But as the day drew on, it seemed less likely.
A proclamation issued following the executive order singling out Australia.
Saying that Australian exports of aluminum doubled in 2024 compared to the 2015-17 average, and that 'Australia has disregarded its verbal commitment to voluntarily restrain its aluminium exports to a reasonable level.'
That seems to relate to a deal under the former Morrison government.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says he doesn't know what that level was.
“Ultimately that is a question best directed to Peter Dutton and the Coalition. I mean, whatever has happened there has happened under the former government.”
Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley telling Sky that’s all in the past.
“Whatever happened before, happened, what matters is what we do now and what matters more than anything for us is that the Government does well. We want them to do well. We want Australia to succeed. But we also know that the quality of the relationships between senior officials, between prime ministers, between ambassadors, is vital at a time like this.”
The tariffs won’t come into effect until the 12th of March, giving the Australian government a month to plead its case.
Mr Marles says there’s benefits for the U-S for Australia to be exempt.
“From an American point of view, there's about $100 billion of two way trade and it very much has a US surplus, almost two to one. It's in the interests of both the United States and Australia that that trade is tariff free.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confident that President Trump is considering it.
“President Trump gave a very clear signal yesterday when he said that an exemption for Australia is under great consideration. They're his words, they're consistent with the discussion that I had with President Trump. It was a very warm and constructive discussion, and engagement, we’ll continue to do so.”
