Australia to 'stand up for national interests' on US tariffs

2/4/2025 18:11

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his rival in a May election, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton, said they would stand up for the country's national interests in the face of looming U.S. tariffs that could hit Australian beef.



Australia recorded its first trade surplus with the United States in January as gold exports surged, after decades of trade deficits. The two countries have a free trade agreement that allows duty-free entry for U.S. exports. Albanese has said his government will not retaliate against the Trump Administration with reciprocal tariffs.



Toughening his language in an election campaign, Albanese said on Wednesday he would "stand up for Australian interests", and would not compromise on Australian regulations that the United States is likely to target.



Opposition Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton similarly told reporters: "My job is to stand up for Australians."



"If I needed to have a fight with Donald Trump or any other world leader to advance our nation's interests, I'd do it in a heartbeat," Dutton said in a Sky News Australia interview.