U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s impending tariffs on imported good was a topic of discussion during a meeting between the leaders of Australia and Indonesia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met on the sidelines of the the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit in Lima, Peru.
Trump has flagged tariffs on imports to the United States of between 10 and 20 percent, and up to 60 percent for Chinese goods.
While the United States is only Australia’s fifth largest export market, it was still worth $35.4 billion (US$22.8 billion) in 2023, while Indonesia’s exports to America that same year were worth $36.1 billion (US$23.28 billion) with the relationship ranking second in value.
“Obviously, that’s part of the backdrop of APEC and the G20, which is what the impact of a change in U.S. administration will have,” Albanese told reporters.
The Australian Prime Minister called to congratulate the President-elect shortly after his victory, while the Indonesian President phoned him on Monday after arriving in Washington en route to Peru.
Albanese’s Schedule
Meanwhile, Albanese also met with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to discuss mining and agriculture.When asked if he also planned to meet with CCP Leader Xi Jinping, who has arrived in Lima, he was noncommittal, saying, “We'll make announcements at appropriate times.”
When asked if he had considered making a journey from Lima to Florida to meet the president-elect in person, he said he would “have a meeting with President Trump when it is organised.”
“We spoke about gathering, and I’m sure that will occur.
“I intend to be in [Australia’s] Parliament next Thursday,” he said, adding that he believed that so far, his relationship with the U.S. leader was “very constructive” and “very positive.”
