Albo tight-lipped on crucial Trump meeting

Perth Now

9 hours ago

Anthony Albanese says he will not 'pre-empt' an outcome of his highly anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying it would be successful if he can 'put forward our position'.
While the two world leaders are set to meet on Wednesday morning (AEST), the Prime Minister would not directly say whether he expects to secure an exemption on tariffs or walk away with a guarantee for AUKUS' continued survival.
Mr Albanese said the face-to-face would be about the two countries' relations, dudding questions about whether he would implore Mr Trump to call on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow aid into Gaza.
The Labor leader also would not say whether he would discuss comments made by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who declared China was at risk of invading Taiwan in the next three years.
Asked whether he thought the question of 'China (would) come up' during the bilateral, Mr Albanese responded: 'I'm not pre-empting discussions that take place'.
However speaking to reporters after his bilateral with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he said Australia's position on tariffs was 'very clear'.
He said the tariffs on Australian goods would not affect its 'competitive advantage' and would only increase the cost of US goods.
'We see tariffs as acts of economic self-harm by the country imposing the tariffs, because what it does is lead to increased costs for the country that is making those decisions,' he said.
'I would hope that over a period of time, the United States revisits that position and will continue to advocate that.'
Speaking directly to the 25 per cent levy on aluminium and the 50 per cent tariffs on steel, Mr Albanese noted steel production facilities in the US had not increased since January 20, with the US still needing to export steel.
'They're just paying more for them,' he said.
Mr Albanese also reiterated previous comments that AUKUS was still in the 'interests of all three countries,' referring to Australia, the US and the UK.
'What AUKUS offers the United States is, firstly, the support that we're providing for their industrial capacity,' he said.
'Secondly, the increased capacity to have their subs in the water as well, because of the maintenance facilities that will take place at Henderson,' he said.
'Indeed, having Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States all having an increased nuclear-powered submarines, in our case, conventionally armed, is something that will make the Indo-Pacific area more secure that is in the interests of the United States.'