The wide ranging tariffs are expected to be announced April 2.
Nationals leader David Littleproud has warned that President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Australian beef would be a tariff on the Big Mac.
This comes amid fears that Australian agricultural exports including beef and other farming products could be subject to a 10 percent tariff or more.
Littleproud expressed that such tariffs would hurt the U.S. more than it would benefit it.
“I don’t think it’s a wise act and, in fact, the last time President Trump did this, it hurt American farmers,” he said.
“If he looks at Australian beef and he wants to slap it on Australian beef, he, in fact, will be slapping it on his favourite food, a Big Mac, because most of the meat that goes into a Big Mac is lean beef and it comes from Australia.”
Littleproud emphasised that American beef production is not enough to meet domestic demand, making Australian exports vital.
“So, while it might sound good, what President Trump is doing has consequences. We should take a leadership role and be able to convince him to understand that the rules-based order of trade has served the United States well and has served Australia well,” he said.
“Last time he did this, Australian commodity prices went up, because what the world did is they traded around the United States, particularly in agricultural products, and his farmers hurt.”
The Nationals leader said the Opposition wants to work with the United States, but expressed they will agree to disagree on many things.
“There’s been no more trusted partner than Australia and this is about relationships,” Littleproud continued.
“We proved that last time with Joe Hockey in being able to build those relationships. You’ve got to respect the sovereignty of the United States and its democratic process. That’s the way of the world,” he added.
The tariffs, expected to be announced on “Liberation Day” at around 7 a.m. Australian time on April 2, are expected to form a part of a Make America Wealthy Again press conference.
The proposed tariffs will come into effect immediately after the announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed during a press briefing
on April 1.
Aside from agricultural products, the U.S. has already implemented a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum products. Other Australian exports like pharmaceuticals are also at risk.
Dutton Prepared to Stand Up to Trump
Opposition leader Peter Dutton echoed Littleproud’s concerns, stating that he would stand up to Trump.“I don’t care whether it’s President Trump or any other world leader, my job is to stand for Australians and I have the strength and the experience to be able to do that,” Dutton said at an interview in Victoria on April 2.
The Albanese government quietly scrapped its Biosecurity Protection Levy earlier in February, which was originally proposed to Australian farmers to help fund biosecurity measures, but was criticised as an unfair tax that would increase costs for producers.
Liberal Shadow Minister James Paterson said that Australia must now focus on securing exemptions from the looming U.S. tariffs.
He said that they were inconsistent with the obligations America entered into voluntarily in our free trade agreement.
“Our expectation is that America abide by that agreement, which is a cornerstone of our economic relationship. I hope that the Albanese government has done everything they can to make sure that Australia is spared from these tariffs,” he said.
“There has been some media reporting that allies like Australia, where the United States has a trade surplus, could be getting an exemption, and we certainly hope that’s the case.”
However, Paterson attacked Albanese for not travelling to the United States to meet with President Trump.
“I think it is harder to guarantee that, though, when the Prime Minister has not travelled to Washington D.C. and has failed to meet with President Trump to discuss this, like so many other world leaders have done. That is a very difficult decision to understand,” Paterson said on the Today Show.
The tariffs are expected to apply across a range of sectors and targeted towards countries that the Trump administration believe are engaging in “protectionist trade practices.”
Albanese ‘Prepared for All Possibilities’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed he does not want to engage in hypotheticals ahead of the U.S. tariffs.
“What I can say is that we are prepared for all possibilities going forward and I repeat what I’ve said before. Tariffs are an act of economic self-harm by those who have imposed them,” he told reporters.
Albanese’s handling of the situation has repeatedly drawn criticism, especially from the Opposition, which argues that his reluctance to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Trump signals weak leadership at a crucial moment for Australian trade.
