Albanese urges Trump to exempt Australia from latest US tariffs

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged US President Donald Trump to exempt Australia from Washington’s latest round of tariffs, saying Trump agreed to consider the request.

Albanese said on his account on the US social media company X on Friday that he had a “great” conversation with Trump, describing the 75-year US-Australia alliance as going “from strength to strength.”

The two countries would continue working closely on critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and the AUKUS security partnership, he added.

The phone call lasted about 40 minutes and was “productive, constructive … and substantial,” according to Australia’s ABC News.

Albanese said he asked Trump to consider a full exemption for Australia from a 12.5% US tariff imposed in July, or at least to retain the previous 10% rate.

The Australian government has disputed Washington’s justification for the tariff, which was linked to concerns over forced labor in supply chains, maintaining there was “no credible evidentiary basis” for the measure, ABC reported.

The premier said he highlighted Canberra’s measures against modern slavery and emphasized Australia’s economic relationship with the US.

He also told Trump that the US had accumulated a trade surplus of $442 billion with Australia over the past 20 years.

“I put the argument very much to the president, as a friend of the United States, we would request that to be considered,” Albanese said.