No Shock Over Trump Tariffs, Australia in Good Position: Wong

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong shake hands as they meet at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 21, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is confident Australia can navigate the threat of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump has recently imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China as part of his strategy to fix ongoing trade imbalances, and stem the flow of illegal immigrants and the drug fentanyl.

Wong said the U.S. president was doing exactly what he said he would do.

“We shouldn’t be surprised by these announcements, they are consistent with what President Trump said during his campaign and what he said at the inauguration, which, as you know, I was privileged to attend,” she said on ABC News Breakfast on Feb. 3.

“Look, in my engagements while I was in Washington for the inauguration, including with my counterpart, Secretary [Marco] Rubio and other members of the Trump administration, I made very clear where Australia sits.”

Wong attended the Trump inauguration on Jan. 20 and held discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Quad and AUKUS in one of his first foreign engagements.

“We are a country in relation to whom the U.S. has a trade surplus and all goods enter from the U.S. under our free trade agreement, enter Australia without duties or tariffs or any other barriers. So, we are in a position where the U.S. has a trade surplus with us,” Wong added.

Australia Will Find a Way

The senator said Australia had to navigate the world confidently.

“President Trump has said he will do things differently and he is doing things differently. This isn’t a surprise, but we have confidence in our ability to navigate this. I was very pleased to have engagement with the Trump administration on Australia’s behalf from the very first day of the administration commencing,” she said.

“I appreciate that there is a lot of commentary about it, but I’m a realist. Our government will navigate this just as we have navigated the, you know, the years since we’ve been elected to government, including strengthening and deepening our relationship with the United States.”

In another interview with the Today Show, Wong reiterated, “We have to face—navigate these circumstances with confidence and continue to engage with the Trump administration about the benefit of our relationship and our alliance and our economic relationship.

Opposition Says Trump a ‘Man of Action’

Meanwhile, Shadow Attorney General Michaelia Cash expressed confidence the Coalition could work positively with Trump.

“He’s showing that he’s a man of action. He was overwhelmingly re-elected by the American people … The American people, they expect action. And that is what they’re getting. And they’ll get the exact same attitude under a [Coalition] Peter Dutton government,” Cash said on the Today show.

“And I can assure you, just like last time, we will work successfully with the Trump administration.”

How Will the Tariffs Work?

Trump has signed-off on 25 percent import taxes on Canadian goods coming into the United States on everything except energy, which is subject to a 10 percent tariff. China also an additional 10 percent tariff on all products, set to start on Feb. 4, the White House said.

“President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.”

Amid the news, the ASX200 moved 1.83 percent down, following a drop in global markets.