Despite a vigorous lobbying effort by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration, Australia was unable to obtain an exemption from US steel and aluminum tariffs, which was a setback for the longstanding friends.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Kush Desai affirmed that there would be no exceptions for any US trading partners to the proposed duties, which would take effect at midnight on Wednesday.
Following the news, Albanese told reporters that the Trump administration’s measures were “economic self-harm” on the side of the US and “completely unjustified.” He clarified, however, that Australia would not reciprocate.
“This is fundamentally at odds with the benefits that our economic partnership has delivered over more than 70 years and goes against the spirit of our two nations’ enduring friendship,” Albanese stated in Sydney on Wednesday. He stated that Australia will keep pushing for an exemption.
In a phone conversation with the prime minister of Australia last month, President Donald Trump had stated that he would take an exception into consideration. Local MPs and business leaders had been putting a lot of pressure on Albanese, who must face an election by May 17, to ensure a niche for Australia’s goods.
In order to encourage citizens to purchase domestically made goods, Albanese stated following the announcement that he would be collaborating with the steel and aluminum businesses to diversify their exports.
“Friends must behave in a way that affirms our friendship to the people in our separate communities. Albanese declared on Wednesday, “This is not a friendly act.”
Canberra engaged in months of arduous negotiations with Washington to obtain an exception during Trump’s first term. But earlier this week, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Bloomberg that he thought it would be “a lot harder” for Australia to secure a comparable agreement this time.
According to Australian media, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had previously informed reporters that Trump had not granted an exemption.
She told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that Trump “considered it, and considered against it.”
source; mining dot com
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