On July 26 local time, Australian Prime Minister Albanese stated that he would directly protest to U.S. President Trump against the recently announced 'unfounded' tariff measures by the United States.
In an ABC program on that day, Albanees said that he would 'definitely' discuss tariff issues with Trump.
On the 23rd local time, the U.S. Trade Representative Office issued a statement announcing that, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, tariffs of 10% to 12.5% will be imposed on 60 countries and regions, under the pretext of so-called “forced labor”, as a replacement for the temporary 10% global tariffs that are due to expire on the 24th.
The new tariffs are scheduled to take effect on Eastern Time on the 24th. This “301 tariff” is considered one of the largest tariff measures imposed by the United States since the introduction of “countermeasures tariffs” on “Liberation Day” in April last year.
China, the European Union, Brazil and other parties have expressed protests over this. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on the 24th, stating that China's position on Sino-US economic and trade issues is consistent and clear, and it opposes all forms of unilateral tariff measures. A tariff war or trade war does not serve the interests of any party.
Albanes said that Australia has already begun communicating with the United States regarding tariffs, and will raise this issue at all levels of Australia-US relations.
These tariffs are arbitrary and have no basis. Albanis said, "We have already established very strict regulations on modern slavery. Tariffs actually punish consumers within our own country. This will lead to higher costs in the US and also damage trade relations between the US and its friends."
Apart from the issue of tariffs, Albinas also called for an end to the war with Iran. He pointed out that the conflict has driven up global energy prices and caused concerns over fuel supplies in Australia. Albinas revealed that the Australian government will announce policies regarding fuel issues in the coming days or weeks, but did not provide further details.
He said, “We have always expressed our hope for a calm situation and the end of the conflict. We wish for the Gulf of Hormuz to be reopened without paying any fees, as doing so would disrupt international trade.”
