US trade advisor doubles down on Australia tariffs
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The news: US trade chief Jamieson Greer has defended the 10% tariffs slapped on Australia as part of the Trump administration’s global tariff onslaught while testifying before the US Senate Finance Committee on Tariff policy.
The context: When asked why Australia was targeted by US tariffs, Greer said "We're addressing the $[US]1.2 trillion deficit — the largest in human history — that President [Joe] Biden left us with," and that America "should be running up the score on Australia."
Citing the fact that the US has a trade surplus with Australia and that the countries have a free trade agreement in place, US Democrat Senator Mark Warner pressed Greer about why Australia “got whacked in the first place.”
Greer said that despite the FTA, Australia bans US beef and pork and is getting ready to impose measures on American digital companies. Australia does not ban US beef imports, rather, it restricts USMCA beef which could include beef sourced from the US, Canada or Mexico.
Criticising Australia’s biosecurity rules, Greer added that “Australia also blocks on species, ‘fake science’ grounds, the export of fresh and frozen US pork.”
Responding to the interaction on the ABC, Australia’s Industry Minister Ed Husic supported Warner’s comments, suggesting the Senator be awarded an honorary Order of Australia.
“Good on him. I like the cut of his jib. It was very defensive of Australia, but we heard the actual administration’s perspective running up the score against us,” Mr Husic said. “Everyone will lose from what the Trump administration is doing here. It is senseless and counter-productive.”
PM Anthony Albanese responded to the comments, again saying that the 10% tariffs are an act of economic self-harm. "The fact is that what he's drawn attention to what I have been saying consistently and what I have said very directly to President Trump, which is the United States has a trade surplus with Australia,” Albanese said. "They've had that since the Truman presidency.”
The sources: The Australian, ABC
