KARACHI, Pakistan

Australia’s prime minister urged citizens Thursday to "buy local" after the US imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Anthony Albanese said Australians will be incentivized to buy local products after the US move, which Washington has defended as "fundamental for national security," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Albanese, who labelled the tariffs "entirely unjustified" as they came into effect Wednesday, dodged a question during an interview with ABC Radio on whether Australians should boycott US goods amid evidence that citizens of some countries were doing so.

Instead, he said the federal budget, which is set to be announced on March 25, will include extra support for a "buy Australian" campaign.

“I would urge Australians, if they're in a local shop, to look to buy Australian," he added.

Canberra had tried to negotiate an exemption from the tariffs similar to that granted during US President Donald Trump's first term.

Albanese said negotiations would continue as Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles rejected hitting the US with retaliatory tariffs, despite them being "disappointing."

Marles said the tariffs were an “act of self-harm” for the US, but retaliatory measures would not be "in the interest of the Australian economy or Australian workers."

Defending the Trump administration's move, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick criticized Australia in an interview Wednesday.

"You've got dumpers in the rest of the world...They overproduce and they sell it dirt-cheap...Australia does a lot of aluminum at below cost. I mean, this has got to end, and the president is on it, and he's protecting America," he was quoted as saying.

"We can't be in a war and rely on steel and aluminum from some other country. National security rises above all other things," he added.