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The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Australia's trade minister says Trump plan to double steel and aluminium tariffs to 50% ‘not the act of a friend'
Australia's trade minister, Don Farrell, has described Donald Trump's trade tariffs as 'unjustified and not the act of a friend', after the US president announced he would double import duties on steel and aluminium to 50%. Trump told a steelworkers rally in Pittsburgh that raising the tariff would 'even further secure the steel industry in the United States. Nobody is going to get around that.' In a social media post on Saturday, Trump clarified the increase from 25% to 50% would be effective from 4 June and would apply to steel and aluminium. Australia exports relatively little steel to the US. About 2.5% of US aluminium imports by volume come from Australia, but this is less than 10% of Australia's total exports of the metal. Reiterating Australia's stance on the tariffs, Farrell said on Saturday: 'Australia's position has been consistent and clear. These tariffs are unjustified and not the act of a friend. 'They are an act of economic self harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses who rely on free and fair trade. We will continue to engage and advocate strongly for the removal of the tariffs.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The shadow trade minister, Kevin Hogan, said on Saturday that Trump's announcement was concerning for Australian jobs. 'The Albanese government needs to double its efforts to protect our steel industry and local jobs for our steel workers,' he said. 'We expect the United States to honour its obligations under the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement, just as Australia has always done. The strength of our economic partnership has been built on trust and mutual benefit, and any deviation from this agreement undermines the principles of free trade.' Hogan said the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, needed to personally meet with Trump during the G7 talks in Canada taking place in two weeks 'to develop a personal rapport with the United States President and protect Australian industries'. Hogan said: 'The Coalition want the government to succeed because that is in the national interest.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Trump's sweeping tariffs were initially blocked by a US court this week, which ruled them illegal, before the administration won a temporary pause on that ruling on Thursday. It is understood a national security provision – section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act – does give the US president authority to unilaterally raise tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Marghanita Johnson, the chief executive of the Australian Aluminium Council, said a key concern was the potential for international trade flows to be distorted. The council would keep working with the government, she said. In March, when the steel tariffs came into force, BlueScope Steel, which exports about 300,000 tonnes of steel a year to the US, said it was disappointed the industry had not received the same tariff exemption that was negotiated during Trump's first term. The company produces more than 3m tonnes of steel each year at its Ohio plant. BlueScope said at the time it was working closely with the Australian government's trade and diplomatic staff 'to ensure the BlueScope investment proposition is fully understood'. Industry group the Australian Steel Institute has previously said it was working with the government to secure an exemption on the steel import tariff. The institute said during the previous Trump administration, Australia had been granted an exemption after nine months of lobbying.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Albanese expected to meet with Trump on sidelines of G7 in Canada
Deputy Nationals Leader Kevin Hogan has commented on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's expected meeting with US President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister is expected to meet with the US President on the sidelines of the G7 in Canada in the upcoming weeks. 'Really happy that he's finally going to meet in person, Donald Trump. He's one of the few leaders who hasn't met him personally,' Mr Hogan told Sky News Australia. 'Obviously, an important part of our relationship with the US is our national security alliance, and I think it's important they chat about issues like that as well.'
ABC News
6 days ago
- General
- ABC News
After a dramatic split the Coalition is back together
After a dramatic rupture initiated by the Nationals, the Coalition is back. Earlier today Opposition Leader Sussan Ley stood with her Nationals counterpart David Littleproud to announce changes to the shadow cabinet. For the Liberals, moderates are in the ascendancy with former shadow finance minister Jane Hume the highest profile casualty. For the Nationals, two former leaders - Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack - are gone. 7.30's Sarah Ferguson interviews Kevin Hogan, the Deputy Leader of the Nationals.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
David Littleproud says Nationals will review net zero policy, contradicting deputy
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, says his party's support for a policy of net zero emissions by 2050 is up for review, contradicting his deputy and raising doubts about the looming cooperation agreement with the Liberals. After days of turmoil within the Coalition, Littleproud told Sky News he was relaxed about speculation his leadership could come under challenge from former leader Michael McCormack, denying there was division within the Nationals. 'We've got a party room position on this but obviously during this period of parliament, like in the last period, we'll continue to review some of those policies, including net zero,' Littleproud said on Monday night. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'I think we've got to understand that the world is finding it increasingly more difficult to achieve net zero by 2050 and the serious economic impact.' Littleproud said Australia needed to pursue a sensible energy mix to ensure future prosperity. But his comments on net zero by 2050 were at odds with comments by the deputy leader, Kevin Hogan, just a day earlier. Hogan told ABC TV on Sunday morning that the Nationals' position on net zero climate policies was settled. 'The Nationals support net zero [by] 2050,' he said, stressing the policy had been in place for seven years and 'that's not up for review or being changed'. Hogan's comments came as Queensland Liberal National party senator Matt Canavan promised to keep fighting against net zero, calling Australia's commitments under the Paris climate agreement 'crazy'. 'We haven't had this debate yet. We haven't adopted a position on net zero since the election as the Nationals party room so a leader cannot take that forward without the authority of the room,' Canavan told Sky. Amid the confusion, Littleproud and opposition leader Sussan Ley are this week finalising a new coalition agreement and preparing to appoint a joint Liberal-Nationals frontbench. Moves to abandon net zero plans would be opposed by some Liberal MPs. Littleproud walked the Nationals away from the Coalition last week, before reversing course after Ley gave in-principle support for four policy demands from the minor party. They included a policy to lift Australia's moratorium on nuclear energy, a $20bn regional infrastructure fund, communication services guarantees in the bush and new forced breakup powers for supermarkets and other retailers found to be abusing market share. The Nationals are expected to have six frontbench positions in the new-look opposition, as well as some outer ministry roles. McCormack and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce could be overlooked for the next generation of Nationals as part of the new lineup. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on Monday said net zero is 'important' but stressed the shift to renewables required confidence from firming capacity, or grid firming, including from fossil fuel projects. The federal government could approve an expansion of Woodside's North West Shelf extension project as soon as this week.
Sky News AU
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Coalition must be ‘strong opposition' against ‘dangerous' Labor government
Nationals Deputy Leader Kevin Hogan has pushed for the Nationals and the Liberals to be a 'unified opposition' against the Albanese government. A new Coalition agreement between the Liberal and National parties is expected within days, following disagreement over policy and shadow cabinet solidarity. Despite internal dissent and rumours of a leadership coup, the Coalition will likely reassemble before the return of parliament in July. 'We need to be a strong opposition against this very dangerous Labor government,' Mr Hogan said.
