March 14, 2025
As beef firms as next tariff target, minister resists calls to fly to the US to instead check out Perth rock lobsters Anthony Albanese has resisted calls to fly to Donald Trump's side in Washington DC, as fears grow that Australian beef could be the next victim of an escalating global trade war.
The Prime Minister was pressed on his handling of the shock US decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium during his surprise visit to Perth on Thursday.
Agriculture, beef and pharmaceutical products are expected to be the next target when on April 2 the White House is due to unveil recommendations for tailored "reciprocal" trade duties on countries around the world.
Mr Albanese dodged questions on whether he had been able to secure a phone call with the US President since the White House confirmed the Australian penalties on Wednesday.
The tariffs which have been called an act of "economic self-harm" by Mr Albanese fly in the face of the free trade agreement between the nations.
"I have had two very constructive discussions with the US President . . . and we'll continue to engage," Mr Albanese said in Mundaring.
He has requested a third phone call with Mr Trump but has had no response as yet.
When asked whether he should have flown to the US capital instead of Perth, Mr Albanese accused the Opposition of playing politics with a matter of national interest.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has criticised the Albanese Government and the Prime Minister's leadership for failing to secure exemptions from the US tariffs, calling him "weak".
"I thought you liked us coming to Perth," Mr Albanese said. "We're coming to Perth, doing our job . . . the most important place for me to be is doing my job as the Australian Prime Minister.
"This is not Australia being singled out. Every country, regardless of who has spoken to who, has these tariffs imposed.
"Peter Dutton has at every opportunity, when he has to choose between Australia's national interest in standing up for Australia and playing politics, he chooses politics."
Mr Albanese said he took "Team Australia's side". He argued Labor had previously offered former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull bipartisan support when tariffs were imposed during Mr Trump's first term in 2018.
Mr Albanese also insisted his criticism of Scott Morrison when China imposed tariffs on a string of Australian exports in 2020 including wine, barley and lobsters was different. "There were no phone calls between the Morrison government, any minister and any Chinese government minister," he said.
But shadow minister for home affairs James Paterson accused the Prime Minister of failing to show leadership and took aim at Trade Minister Don Farrell, who was also in Perth on Thursday.
"Don Farrell should have been on a plane to Washington, not on a boat," he said.
Mr Farrell visited Fremantle fishing harbour on Thursday morning to celebrate an influx of tourists and $188 million worth of WA rock lobsters sold since the trade to China resumed a month ago.
It took five years to unravel tariffs that were imposed by Beijing in 2020, but Mr Farrell said it was proof tariffs can be undone.
"We're not going to panic," he said.
"We didn't panic in the relationship with China. We were cool, calm and collected and that's the way we're going to be in our relationship with the United States and every other country."
He added that Chinese trade is worth more to Australia's bottom line.
"Our total trade with the United States, two-way trade, is about $100 billion. That's less than a third of what we do with China," Mr Farrell said.
"We buy $70 billion worth of products from America , (we) sell them $30 billion, so our trade with China has always been much greater than the US," he said.
"We had some bad news yesterday, of course, with the American tariffs, but we've got some really good news today."
When asked if it would take years to fix again, he replied "I hope not" before putting on gloves to pose for photos with some WA rock lobsters.
"If we can take on a cray like this we can certainly take on the United States," he quipped.
The Opposition was quick to accuse him of prioritising a photo opportunity ahead of a trade crisis.
"While steel workers and their families come to grips with the news on US tariffs, this Government's Trade Minister is kicking back on a yacht with some lobster," Senator Paterson said.
"This Government's priorities are all at sea . . . the Prime Minister can't even get on the phone with the President and Don Farrell is more focused on his appetite than securing Australian manufacturing jobs."
Mr Farrell revealed he has a phone call scheduled with US trade representatives on Sunday, while Mr Albanese has not ruled out using Australia's critical minerals as leverage, as the world braces for a second wave of tariffs.
Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd had reportedly offered a guaranteed supply chain to turbocharge investment into new mining projects, in a bid to avoid future tariff hits.
"We've got a few things they need," the Prime Minister told 6PR. "We are putting our case very clearly that Australia and countries like the United States need to work together."
Some industry leaders are backing the Government's "calm, methodical and logical" approach.
"The critical point for us is we don't know what might come next, but we need to be prepared for every possible scenario," Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black said.
"We have to do everything we can to control the things that are within our control."
Mr Albanese was sure of one thing, insisting that Premier Roger Cook's description of US Vice-president J. D. Vance as a "knob" made no difference to the frantic diplomatic overtures.
"No, with respect, a whole lot of people have said a whole lot of things over a long period of time, including J.D. Vance has had some interesting things to say," he told ABC Drive.
"Look, he was at a brekky, I saw it. You know he made a comment." Of more concern, he said, were Mr Turnbull's comments this week calling President Trump "chaotic, rude, abusive and erratic".
"Probably Malcolm's comments as a former prime minister would have been more noticed in the United States, it's fair to say," Mr Albanese said.
"But people are entitled to have their say. I, as Prime Minister, try to be diplomatic and engage in a constructive way."
Innes Willox, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, said it was "unfortunate" Mr Trump, right, had not wanted to take another call from Mr Albanese but said there was "no doubt" the Government was working hard to state Australia's case.
"We're in a new paradigm here," he said.
"The American administration seems to be hell bent, at least significant parts of them, on remaking global trade."
