Albanese Presses Trump for Tariff Exemption in Call, Gets 'Consideration'

CANBERRA, Australia —

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia said Friday he used a phone call with President Trump to push for Australia to be exempted from U.S. tariffs, telling reporters in Canberra that Trump agreed only to give the request "consideration."

Australia currently faces a flat 12.5 percent U.S. tariff. Albanese said he asked Trump to consider a full exemption or, failing that, to at least avoid raising the rate further, according to The Guardian. "I did ask that Australia's position as a friend of the United States be considered and the president agreed that he would give consideration to my request," Albanese said, according to Reuters. "So I put the case as strongly as I could. It was a constructive discussion about why Australia should get at least the best treatment."

ABC Australia reported that Albanese did not sound optimistic about Trump changing course, saying the two sides hold "a different view" on tariffs. Albanese described the overall call as "very productive, constructive, lengthy and substantial," according to Reuters.

AUKUS And Iran Also On The Agenda

The two leaders also discussed the AUKUS submarine program, a defense pact among Australia, the United States and Britain that will supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. Albanese said both leaders agreed the deal remained "full steam ahead" and would keep benefiting all three countries, according to The Guardian. Reuters reported that Australia has committed 368 billion Australian dollars ($259.7 billion) over three decades to the program, including investment in production bases in Britain and the United States. AUKUS, formed in 2021, is widely seen as part of an effort to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, and China has called the pact dangerous and warned it could fuel a regional arms race, according to Reuters.

On Iran, Albanese said he repeated Australia's call for the conflict to end while maintaining that Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, according to Reuters. ABC Australia reported that Trump gave Albanese an "extensive update" on the war and "expressed his confidence going forward," though the outlet noted that analysts see the United States as stuck without a clear exit strategy in Iran, with talks over Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz still stalled.

China's Missile Test And Pacific Diplomacy

Albanese also raised a recent Chinese ballistic missile test in the Pacific that has unsettled several regional nations and drawn sharp criticism from Western countries and U.S. allies, according to ABC Australia. He said Trump responded by noting the test "caused a great deal of concern right across the Pacific, which is true." Albanese told reporters he also briefed Trump on a series of new treaties Australia has recently signed with Pacific nations, including Papua New Guinea and Fiji, according to Reuters.