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February 14, 2025
Anthony Albanese should meet with Donald Trump as soon as possible to secure an exemption from the US President's brutal blanket tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, a senior Coalition senator says.
Uncertainty has been festering around a possible carve-out for Australia since Mr Trump inked an executive order slapping 25 per cent levies on foreign steel and aluminium "without exemptions or exceptions".
He did so shortly after giving the Prime Minister assurances an exemption for Australia was "under consideration".
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said yesterday Australia was "clearly not doing harm to the United States steel or aluminium industries", but Mr Trump needed to hear that directly.
He said Mr Albanese should take the approach of former Coalition governments and set up a face-to-face meeting, saying "we need in-person access" to Mr Trump.
"I don't understand why, unlike other world leaders, he (Mr Albanese) hasn't been on the first plane over to the United States after the inauguration to have that in-person meeting with President Trump to build that rapport," Senator Paterson told Sky News.
"That was how the Morrison and Turnbull governments secured good arrangements for Australia on these issues ... but there's no evidence that the Prime Minister is prioritising this issue." Meanwhile, Trade Minister Don Farrell has pushed back against a senior Trump aide's claim Australia was "killing" the US aluminium industry.
Peter Navarro, who advises Mr Trump on trade, accused Australia of flooding the US aluminium market this week.
Senator Farrell disputed the claim, saying: "I don't believe we've done ... anything that has not been agreed to by the American government."
