Australia – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he will directly raise new US tariffs with President Donald Trump, describing the measures as unjustified and signaling that Canberra views the issue as a priority in the bilateral relationship. Speaking on ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday, Albanese said he would “absolutely” bring up the tariffs with Trump after Washington announced a 12.5% levy last week. The Trump administration says the new tariff follows what it called an investigation into alleged failures by about 60 economies to prevent forced labor in supply chains, framing the measure as part of a broader response to labor rights concerns. Albanese indicated that Australia is concerned about the implications of the levy for its exporters and for the fairness of US trade actions toward partners that see themselves as complying with international labor standards. He said he intends to seek clarification from Trump on how the tariff will be applied, as well as to advocate for relief for affected Australian exports. Albanese’s comments underscore rising tensions over trade and labor issues between Washington and a number of economies named in the US investigation, and highlight his attempt to protect Australian trade interests while maintaining a close security and economic partnership with the United States.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.