Trump flags trade talks with Australian PM as vote nears

Yahoo

30-04-2025

(Bloomberg) — US President Donald Trump was open to a possible call with Australia's government to discuss tariffs he imposed on the ally, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there were 'opportunities' for his country arising from America's trade war.
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When asked by a reporter Tuesday whether he planned to hold talks with Albanese on the US import levies, Trump responded that Canberra had been requesting a meeting. The president spoke just days out from an Australian election.
'They are calling, and I will be talking to him, yes,' Trump told journalists.
His comments are the first public indication of talks between Australia and the US in more than two months, with Trump and Albanese not having spoken since the American leader agreed to consider an exemption for Canberra from 25% steel and aluminum tariffs during a call in mid-February.
No exemption was given and those tariffs were followed up with a broad 10% levy in early April that was applied to scores of countries. At the time, Albanese said the decision was 'not the act of a friend.'
Appearing at the National Press Club on Wednesday ahead of the election on May 3, Albanese was asked whether Trump's tariffs meant Australia needed to diversify its trade and security ties away from the US.
'Out of some of these trade disruptions, what will emerge is, yes, some challenges, but also some opportunities for us, and that is what I'm optimistic about,' Albanese said, pointing to the potential for growing agricultural trade with major economies such as China.
There is no indication at this stage on when a call between Albanese and Trump would take place. When asked Wednesday morning, the Australian prime minister said there would be a discussion 'after Saturday' if he was elected.
'I'm not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment. I'm in the election campaign,' Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.
Polls suggest Albanese will hold onto power either by a slim majority or with the support of minor parties and independent lawmakers in Saturday's vote.
Trump has heavily overshadowed the election campaign, with center-right opposition leader Peter Dutton working to play down comparisons between himself and the US leader, who is deeply unpopular in Australia.
In contrast, Albanese has frequently stoked public perceptions of Dutton being similar to Trump, implying that the opposition Liberal-National Coalition has lifted some of its policies from the Republican president.
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