Australia will ‘examine all options’ to avoid new 15% tariffs announced by Donald Trump | Australian foreign policy
Australia will “examine all options” after US president Donald Trump announced a temporary 15% tariff on US imports from all countries.
The US president’s move came less than 24 hours after the US supreme court overturned the original 10% import tax. Shortly after the decision, Trump announced he was reinstating the 10% tax using a different law and then raising it back to 15%.
In a brief statement on Sunday morning, trade minister Don Farrell said he was working closely with Australia’s embassy in Washington to “assess the implications and examine all options”.
“Australia believes in free and fair trade,” he said.
“We have consistently advocated against these unfair tariffs.”
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The new taxes are expected to come into force from 4pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 24 February. Information note from the White House Not updated for latest tax announcement.
Trump took to social media to announce his reaction, calling the high court’s decision “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily un-American” and claiming that the countries in question had been “robbed” of the United States for decades.
“In the coming short months, the Trump Administration will set and issue new, legally permissible Tariffs that will continue our incredibly successful drive to Make America Great Again, BIGGER Than Ever!!!” The US president wrote.
Shadow defense secretary James Paterson told Sky News on Sunday that Trump’s announcement was “regrettable and unfortunate”.
“This is against our free trade agreement and the spirit of our friendship between our two countries,” he said.
“I hope that the President will consider exempting Australia from this tariff, and I hope that the Government of Albania, with its new ambassador, Greg Moriarty, arriving in Washington DC shortly, can secure this exemption for Australia.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud told Channel Nine the newly announced tariffs would “hurt everyone”.
“Tariffs cause inflation. And guess who pays for it? Little guy. You and me,” he said.
“When we go to supermarkets, when we go to buy or build a house, we have to pay for it. And that’s the reality of what Donald Trump is doing.”
In November, Trump lifted tariffs on beef, coffee and banana exports to the United States after acknowledging that domestic demand was outpacing domestic supply. The Australian government has consistently criticized the taxes as “an act of economic self-destruction”.
