Sydney: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia will continue raising concerns with US President Donald Trump over newly imposed US tariffs, describing the measures as unjustified and reaffirming the government’s commitment to securing their removal through ongoing diplomatic engagement.
The United States announced new tariffs on imports from 60 trading partners, including Australia, alleging the countries had failed to take sufficient action to prevent goods produced through forced labour from entering global supply chains. The new measures came into effect after a temporary 10 per cent global tariff expired, introducing higher duties for dozens of countries.
Anthony Albanese said Australia would continue to raise the issue at every level of its relationship with the United States. Anthony Albanese said Australia has some of the world’s strongest modern slavery laws and is further strengthening supply chain oversight to ensure imported goods comply with labour standards. The Australian government has argued that the new tariffs do not reflect the country’s efforts to combat forced labour.
Under the tariff structure announced by the Trump administration, Australian imports are now subject to a 12.5 per cent tariff. Thirty-seven other countries face the same rate, while 17 countries remain subject to a 10 per cent tariff and five countries face mixed tariff rates based on the categories of imported goods.
Australia has consistently opposed the tariffs, maintaining that they are inconsistent with the long-standing economic and strategic partnership between Canberra and Washington. The Labor government has repeatedly stated that it supports free and fair trade and believes Australian exporters should not be penalised given the country’s regulatory framework on labour practices.
The Australian government said it will continue working through diplomatic channels to seek the removal of the tariffs while reinforcing Australia’s commitment to ethical supply chains and international trade standards.
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