Inside key meeting to remove Trump tariffs
Trade Minister Don Farrell has detailed the discussion he had with his US counterpart Jamieson Greer, revealing he had the 'greatest confidence' in Anthony Albanese during an expected meeting with Donald Trump next weekend.
Senator Farrell spoke to the US Trade Representative while in Paris last week and characterised the talk as 'friendly'.
Despite this, he maintained the tariffs were 'simply unjustified', highlighting Australia's trade surplus with the US.
Figures indicate Australia buys about $70bn worth of goods from the US, compared to the $30bn of exports Australia sells to America.
'It wasn't a difficult discussion in terms of the relationship between us, and I am certainly of the view that we have the opportunity to continue to talk with Jamieson and Commerce Secretary Lutnick to put our case across,' he said.
Senator Farrell also said he was still determined to get the trade barriers slashed.
'It's only by open discussion, honest discussion, with our allies in the United States that I think we can do that, but I certainly haven't given up on the prospect of getting these tariffs removed,' he said.
'And every opportunity I get, I'll continue to pursue that argument with the United States.' Don Farrell characterised his meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as 'friendly'. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
However, Senator Farrell said the decision will be ultimately made by Donald Trump, putting increased pressure on Mr Albanese's upcoming meeting with the US President.
He said that while there were a 'range of ways' in which Australia communicates with the US, the 'most important … relationship between our prime minister and the president of the United States'.
'Look every meeting, I think, between an Australian Prime Minister and the US president will always be a critical meeting and I have the greatest confidence in our prime minister to push the Australian point of view on this.'
The trade barriers currently include a 50 per cent levy on steel, a 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and a blanket 10 per cent on other goods.
While Mr Albanese maintained he won't compromise on Australia's biosecurity, he hinted Australia could review current settings which don't allow the US to import beef which originates from Canada and Mexico. Anthony Albanese is expected to meet Donald Trump when he travels to the G7 on the weekend. NewsWire/ Andrew Henshaw Credit: News Corp Australia
Mr Albanese has also ruled out changes to the Pharmaceuticals Benefit Scheme, News Media Bargaining code and incoming ban on social media for under-16s, while highlighting Australia's critical minerals industry as a potential bargaining chip.
'If things can be sorted out in a way that protects our biosecurity – of course, we don't just say no, we don't want imports in here for the sake of it,' he told ABC radio on Friday.
'But our first priority is biosecurity and there'll be no compromise on that.'
Mr Albanese said Australia would not have a 'subservient relationship to any nation'.
'We're a sovereign nation that stand on our own two feet,' he said.
Senator Farrell also said he was 'confident' Australia can secure a new trade deal with the European Union, with EU President Ursula von der Leyen expected to visit Australia in July or August.
'We've got lots of things that we can sell to the to the Europeans. I believe now that there's an appetite to reach an agreement on both sides,' he said.
'The world has changed, those countries that believe in free and fair trade have to work together.'
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"I certainly haven't given up on the prospect of getting these tariffs removed, and every opportunity I get, I'll continue to pursue that argument with the United States," he told Sky News on Sunday. "There is no justification for the United States to impose tariffs on Australia ... we want all of the tariffs removed, not just some of them." Mr Trump recently signed off on doubling tariffs on exports on steel and aluminium from 25 to 50 per cent. All other Australian exports to the US have been slapped with a 10 per cent tariff. But opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said any meeting between the prime minister and US president should have happened sooner. He said an exemption on steel and aluminium secured by the UK showed it was possible Australia could receive a similar outcome. "Australia is at least as good an ally of the United States as the United Kingdom is and so there's no reason why the prime minister shouldn't at least be able to secure that exemption," Senator Paterson told ABC's Insiders program. Senator Farrell met with US trade representative Jamieson Greer last week and said he pushed the case for all of the economic measures to be removed. The minister was hopeful a similar approach that removed $20 billion worth of tariffs on Australian goods entering China could be used with America. "We didn't retaliate on that occasion, and bit by bit, we managed to get all of those tariffs that had been applied on Australia by China removed. I'd like to do the same with the United States," he said. "It's only by open discussion, honest discussion with out allies in the United States that I think we can do that." Senator Paterson said the coalition would be open to the idea of a critical minerals stockpile that could be used as a bargaining chip in any tariff negotiations. "It is something that Australia could do which would represent an economic opportunity and a strategic contribution," he said. As the US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Australia to increase its defence spending by billions of dollars to 3.5 per cent of GDP, Senator Farrell said the federal government had already proved its commitment through the AUKUS submarine deal. Australia is looking to up its total spent on defence to 2.3 per cent. "We are committed to the defence of this country, we are committed to a significant uplift in the amount of spending," Senator Farrell said. "(AUKUS) is going to be a project that's worth more than $360 billion, so I think we've talked the talk." Senator Paterson said the opposition was still committed to its election platform of increasing defence spending to three per cent.
