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Albanese says ‘this is not the act of a friend’ after Trump announcement
Anthony Albanese says the latest action from the Trump administration has not come as a surprise, and the tariffs are “not unexpected”.
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But he repeats the line that the tariffs are unwarranted:
President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs. A reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10%. The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the bases of our two nation’s partnership. This is not the act of a friend.
Key events
Albanese’s provided a bit more detail on the conversations that the government has had with the administration over the last few days, up until this morning before the announcement.
He said earlier that this decision from Trump was expected, and decisions have been ongoing.
There’s been a series of written to and fro, if you like. There’s been negotiations with Mr. [Howard] Ludnick [the commerce secretary] and with others in the United States as well. So this came as no surprise to us.
We had prepared for a period of time the response, a five point response that you will you announced this morning. We met as leaders last night, and again, had contact this morning with obviously, the relevant ministers, as well as our economic ministers.
Albanese won’t specifically say when his government was told Australia would be hit with tariffs, just that “we were very clear about where this was headed”.
He adds the government is using “every asset” available, and mentions his dinner with Greg Norman last night.
Farrell: we will get a free trade agreement with the EU
Farrell says he believes the EU will come back to Australia with a better deal because the world has changed today and the EU has been hit even harder than Australia on its exports.
He says beef was one of the sticking points between the two regions:
The agreement with the European Union did fall over, over beef imports into the EU, the world has changed. As of today, the world has changed for Europe.
Europe has now [been] set back to a much higher tariff into the United States. If they’re sensible, if they’re sensible, they will make us a better offer on the issues that made the agreement fall over last time, and we will get a free trade agreement with the with the EU, the largest economy in the world.
Albanese: ‘Our understanding is that it applies across the board’
Albanese emphasises that no country has received a better deal than Australia, and diplomats and officials are continuing to engage with the administration:
We have made very strong representations. Ministers, our ambassador, people in the embassy, people at departmental level, we’ve used every asset at our disposal.
But what it does mean – it’s a bit like what I was saying yesterday. Steel and aluminium, there’s not more steel and aluminium being produced in the United States today than there was in February.
Albanese says that his understanding is that these 10% tariffs will be across the board.
Australia and the United Kingdom were in negotiations, I’m not sure about other countries, but I know that we were and that was under consideration … So our understanding is that it applies across the board.
He says again the best response is to buy Australian, and Labor will continue to promote Australian products (like Bundaberg ginger beer which he says he had at the Bundaberg factory when he was up campaigning in Queensland earlier this week).
Farrell to meet with European counterparts to discuss FTA
The trade minister, Don Farrell, says Australia will continue to engage with the US administration to remove the “unfair” tariffs.
He reiterates the calm approach, saying it will be by negotiation, by “sitting down and explaining to people the issues at hand” that will best present Australia’s case.
Farrell has also revealed he’s meeting again with he’s European counterparts to re-discuss a free trade agreement with the EU (previous negotiations got stuck on issues like naming rights for products including feta and prosecco).
On that Monday afternoon, I’m talking with my European counterpart, we all know what happened the last time we had discussions with the Europeans, I think things have changed. And the opportunity to have further negotiations about a free trade agreement on better terms than have been previously offered now exists.
Wong says countries in Asia-Pacific region hit hard by tariffs
Penny Wong stands up next and says the decision from the US underlines the current state of global uncertainty.
Wong goes further in outlining how Australia is diversifying its trade, and will continue to focus on trade in our region, and across South-East Asia. The foreign minister says:
Some of the countries in our region are the hardest hit by the tariffs.
But we face those challenges calmly and maturely. We certainly won’t be picking fights in our neighbourhood. Our approach is to be credible and mature.
Yesterday Peter Dutton said he would be prepared to fight with the US administration over these tariffs.
So we’re getting a clearer divide in approach between the two major parties – Labor emphasising a calm and methodical approach, while the Coalition is going more aggressive, and trying to pin that calm approach as “weak” (which we heard again from Dutton this morning).
Albanese announces funding to help exporters move into new markets
In response to the tariffs, and concerns on the global impacts, Albanese says the government will tighten anti-dumping measures to safeguard the aluminium and steel industry (hit by the first round of tariffs).
He’s also announced $50m to help the agricultural and other sectors to move their products into new markets.
There will also be a new critical minerals strategic reserve – but the PM says more details on that will be revealed later.
We will establish a new economic resilience program through our National Reconstruction Fund. This will provide $1 billion in zero-interest loans for firms to capitalise on new export opportunities…
Just as we are already encouraging more people to buy Australian, our Labor government will buy Australian, too. This comes on the back of the announcements that I made in Port Kembla, for example, about procurement of Australian steel.
Albanese says Australian businesses will get priority, and sit at the front of the queue for government procurement.
Albanese: ‘This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship’
Anthony Albanese says the government will stand up for Australia’s interests.
Interestingly, the PM says the action will have “consequences for how Australians see this relationship” between the US and Australia.
The Australian people have every right to view this action by the Trump administration as undermining our free and fair trading relationship and counter to the shared values that have always been at the heart of our two nations’ longstanding friendship. This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship.
Albanese says again there’ll be no compromise on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or agriculture.
We’ll never trade away the things which make us the best country in the world. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is an Australian institution. A proud Labor creation that my government has built on.
We have made it very clear to the United States that we will not compromise on biosecurity. We will not weaken the measures that protect our farmers and producers from the risks of disease or contamination.
Albanese says ‘this is not the act of a friend’ after Trump announcement
Anthony Albanese says the latest action from the Trump administration has not come as a surprise, and the tariffs are “not unexpected”.
But he repeats the line that the tariffs are unwarranted:
President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs. A reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10%. The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the bases of our two nation’s partnership. This is not the act of a friend.
Peter Dutton: ‘We need to stand up for our country’s interests’
Just before the PM stands up, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is reacting to Trump’s announcement, speaking to 2GB radio.
Dutton says Trump’s put forward a negotiating position, but says there’s been “no significant negotiation” between US and Australian leaders, as Albanese hasn’t been able to get Trump on the phone for a third call.
So there has been the significant failing, and we need to be strong and to stand up for our country’s interests.
Dutton is going in hard saying, saying “we need to stand up for our country’s interests”.
Donald Trump doesn’t have any time for [ambassador] Kevin Rudd, and we know that Anthony Albanese is on the record saying all sorts of colourful things about the president. Well, it’s obviously a dysfunctional relationship, and we need to make sure that we stand up for our country’s interests, and the prime minister, as I say, can’t get a phone call, can’t get a meeting, and I hope that that happens soon, because it’s in our country’s best interest.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, and the trade minister, Don Farrell, will respond to Trump’s tariffs at 8.20am. Stay tuned.
Liberal senator James Paterson: ‘Just hoping for an exemption is not a plan’
The shadow home affairs minister and Liberal campaign spokesperson James Paterson says Australia needs to “establish the facts” after Trump’s liberation day announcement.
Australia will be subject to a minimum 10% tariff, but the announcement was scant on details.
Paterson tells Sky News:
We know at the very least that we’re going to be subject to a 10% tariff, but we don’t have any other specific actions about any other industries or sectors in Australia.
Paterson won’t rule in or out whether Australia should take action to the World Trade Organisation. He also says the PM should be speaking to Trump face to face.
I think the most important thing is the direct relationship that we have and are able to build on with the President and with our other friends in the United States. And I do think it would exist in achieving that for having direct face to face talks between the Australian Prime Minister and the American president.
Just hoping for an exemption is not a plan, and just leaving this to officials is not adequate. And I think we do need strong leadership to deal with this.
The PM met with Greg Norman overnight, who has a close relationship with Trump.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Albanese to respond to Trump’s tariff announcement
The press pack following Anthony Albanese has arrived at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices (CPO) in Melbourne’s CBD, where the prime minister will soon respond to Trump’s tariffs announcement.
Australia to be hit with 10% reciprocal tariff from US, chart shows
We have seen the full chart that Donald Trump was holding earlier.
Trump mentioned there would be a minimum 10% reciprocal tariff, and according to that full chart, Australia will incur the 10% reciprocal tariff.
Anthony Albanese is due to speak soon this morning, and will respond to Trump’s announcement.
This week he said there would be no negotiations with the US over changing the PBS, bio-security laws or the news bargaining agreement.
Ben Doherty
Trump has moved on to the possibility of exemptions …
In Trump’s first administration, Australia secured exemptions from tariffs after arguing that Australia ran a trade deficit with America, had a signed and ratified free trade agreement, and was a committed ally and security partner.
But Trump’s second administration has repeatedly said the president regrets the exemptions he gave to Australia in his first term, particularly for the precedent they set for other countries claiming similar carve-outs.
He said this morning:
To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors, and everyone else, who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say: terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, don’t manipulate your currencies … and start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods.