Peter Dutton is vowing he’d be willing to pick a fight with Donald Trump, with the opposition leader making a noticeable change in how he speaks about the US president.
In recent weeks, Mr Dutton insisted he could strike a deal with Mr Trump to reverse tariffs imposed on Australian steel and aluminium.
Mr Trump is expected to announce his next round of tariffs at 7am Thursday AEST, with Australia’s agricultural and pharmaceuticals at risk.
“If I needed to have a fight with Donald Trump or any other world leader, to advance our nation’s interest, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Mr Dutton told Sky News.
“I’ll put the Americans on notice and anyone else who seeks to act against our national interest.”
Anthony Albanese insists Australia is prepared for the next round of US tariffs. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
Mr Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are both campaigning in Melbourne, a crucial state ahead of the May 3 election.
The opposition leader took aim at Mr Albanese, saying he didn’t have the strength to stand up for Australia’s interests.
Mr Albanese, flanked by Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, dubbed Mr Dutton’s comments as “aggro”.
He insisted Australia was in daily conversations with the United States about the looming tariff announcement and hinted there could be greater support for Australian companies affected by any new US tariffs.
“We are certainly prepared for whatever outcome is determined,” the prime minister said.
Agriculture, pharmaceuticals bracing for tariffs
The United States has a trade surplus with Australia, meaning it exports more than it receives from Australia.
The United States was Australia’s fourth largest export market last financial year, accounting for around 5 per cent of Australian exports.
Donald Trump will unveil his next round of tariffs early tomorrow morning. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein)
Beef, pearls and other precious stones and pharmaceuticals account for Australia’s biggest exports to the United States.
A free trade deal between Australia and the United States allows Americans to import goods into Australia tariff free.
A trade tariff is a tax charged when a product is imported to another country. Should Mr Trump impose tariff on Australian products, it will make it more expensive for Americans to purchase the items.
Both Labor and the Coalition have ruled out retaliatory tariffs.
Mr Albanese said conversations about the tariffs needed to “have some perspective”.
“Australia’s exports to the United States represent about under 5 per cent of our goods exports,” he said.
“If you look at where Australia’s future economic development is, and the opportunities, Indonesia will be the fourth largest economy in the world; ASEAN, the giants, with enormous growth, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia.
“These countries are very important for Australia with growth.”
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