Albanese slammed by opposition for waving ‘white flag' ahead of tariff deadline
The 90-day freeze on Donald Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day' tariffs is set to expire on Wednesday.
Australian goods are subject to universal 10 per cent duties, with steel and aluminium slugged with imposts of up to 50 per cent.
The Prime Minister told a News Corp summit this week he did not expect that to change.
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said on Sunday he did not know why the Prime Minister had been so quick to pre-empt the US decision.
'We have seen carve outs for some countries,' Mr Hogan told Sky News.
'We know the UK have had a bit of a carve out on the steel and aluminium tariffs – remember, steel and aluminium tariffs have gone up to 50 per cent, they're not at 10 per cent.
'Countries have got carve outs to that … Mexico get a few carve outs, Canada have got a few carve outs from what tariffs they initially had as well.
'So there are countries dealing and talking to the US President but not ours.'
Only the UK and Vietnam have so far reached trade deals in the 90-day pause, but neither have had tariffs removed altogether.
EU officials this week said trade talks had fallen through and that they were shifting their efforts to maintaining the status quo to get more time to negotiate.
India has also failed to lock in a deal.
Mr Hogan put the lack of an Australian exemption down to Mr Albanese's failure to meet the US President, even though plenty of world leaders had met Mr Trump and still faced far worse tariffs.
'It is embarrassing that our Prime Minister has not been able to secure a physical meeting,' Mr Hogan said.
'I think initially it wasn't a priority of his – now he seems to be struggling to get one.
'Given the importance of that country, not just on the economic relationship we have, but the national security relationship … the fact our two leaders haven't had a chat and Albanese hasn't been able to secure that is absolutely embarrassing.'
Mr Albanese has had several phone calls with Mr Trump, including after Labor's landslide win at the federal election.
In his comments to the News Corp summit on Friday, Mr Albanese repeated his government's line that the US tariffs were 'an act of economic self-harm' and that he would continue to make the case for an Australian exemption
'We continue to be engaged with our American friends, but they have a different position on tariffs,' he said.
'If you look at what the impact has been so far, our beef exports are up.
'Our exports in a range of other products are up as well.
'Lamb's down a little bit, steel and aluminium have been impacted, but not hugely.
'We are in a position where on 9 July, that won't really have an impact on us because that's about other countries who have higher rates overnight.'
Mr Trump included Australia in sweeping tariffs after telling Mr Albanese a Canberra carve out was 'under consideration'.
Pressed on that interaction with Mr Trump, Mr Albanese said they 'did have a constructive discussion' but that 'President Trump … made a decision that's consistent with his public comments'.
'He did say that, but he has also said that there's no more beautiful word in the English language than 'tariff',' he said.
'Now we have a different view. That wouldn't even be … in my, to quote top 10 lists … that wouldn't be in my top million of words.'
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