Donald Trump rejects Australia's bid for exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Opposition MPs have criticised the Prime Minister and Trade Minister for failing to meet with President Donald Trump in person during negotiations for an exemption.

Transcript

00:00Speaking with government sources, they're essentially saying that discussions will be

00:07carried out right until the last minute, but there's certainly a sense of disappointment

00:11given just a month ago Anthony Albanese had a very friendly phone discussion with Donald

00:16Trump in which the US President said that he would deeply consider Australia's request

00:22to be carved out from these 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium.

00:30Now it would appear from the latest commentary from the White House, that's no longer on

00:35the table.

00:36However, we do know that Kevin Rudd, who is Australia's ambassador to the United States,

00:41he was slated to meet with key officials within the Trump administration today.

00:46So he will be making a last ditch attempt, you could say, to secure a carve out.

00:52So there is some ray of hope there.

00:54We did hear from the Health Minister, Mark Butler, on these developments this morning

01:00and he says he's ultimately disappointed.

01:04This is obviously deeply disappointing news, but we knew this was going to be a tough fight.

01:09The second Trump administration seems much more determined on this front than perhaps

01:14the first administration, and even back then when the Turnbull government was in office

01:18here in Australia, it took nine months to gain the exemption that they ultimately did.

01:23So we've been working very hard on this.

01:26Today's news is disappointing, but we don't see this issue as being over by any means.

01:32There is an election around the corner, what are the political implications of this?

01:36Well this is obviously an evolving situation, but the Albanese government is obviously alive

01:42to the impacts of this decision on the Australian economy, given the cost of living is just

01:49so crucial and front of mind for voters across the nation.

01:53When it comes to the raw politics of this decision though, in recent weeks we've already

01:57seen the Coalition moving to paint these tariff exemptions as a bit of a test for the Albanese

02:04government.

02:05We've already heard from some members of the Coalition this morning essentially saying

02:11this is a failure of Anthony Albanese's leadership, and Australia would have had a better hand

02:17at the negotiating table had the Prime Minister travelled to Washington DC and met with Donald

02:23Trump in person, because the US President is a leader who really values those personal

02:29relationships.

02:30On the other side though, we've seen the likes of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

02:36He did manage to secure exemptions under the first Trump administration, however he says

02:42that this time round the equation has ultimately changed and the Albanese government wouldn't

02:48be to blame if it isn't able to secure those carve-outs.

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