Anthony Albanese has branded Donald Trump’s new tariff regime “unwarranted” after the US President threatened 60 of its trading partners over alleged failures to stop the importation of goods made with forced labour.
The Trump administration has accused nations, including Australia, the UK, India and those in the European Union, of importing goods produced by coerced workers as justification to impose a fresh round of tariffs.
Proposed levies range from 10 to 12.5 per cent and follow the conclusion of an investigation by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s office alleging an “unacceptable” failure from trading partners to address the issue.
Anthony Albanese says Australia has consistently advocated against US tariffs. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
“This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” Mr Greer said in a statement.
The US has already imposed a baseline 10 per cent tariff on most Australian goods.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister told ABC AM there seemed to be an “ideological disagreement” between the Trump administration and a “decades long understanding that tariffs are not positive for the country that is imposing them”.
He insisted Australia had “robust, comprehensive and world-leading legislation addressing forced labour and modern slavery”.
A US Federal Court blocked Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs from going into effect, ruling that the President had overstepped his authority. Picture: Brendan Smialowski / AFP
“We’ve put our position very clearly, which is that any tariff on Australian exports to the United States are unjustified,” Mr Albanese said.
“They’re inconsistent with our free trade agreement.”
Mr Albanese said Australia was using ”every opportunity” to advocate that US tariffs imposed Australia “are unwarranted”.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor expressed a similar sentiment, telling reporters: “(the US is) a great friend, and they shouldn’t do it to a friend.”
“We’ve fought with them in every war, every major war,” Mr Taylor said.
“They shouldn’t be imposing tariffs. It’s not what we want to see, and we’ll fight against these rotten tariffs.”
The proposed levies come four months after Mr Trump’s so-called Liberation Day tariffs were struck down by the US Supreme Court.