Just over a year ago, BlueScope Steel floated plans to expand in the US and bring its flagship Colorbond roofing product to the American market.
Now, Australia’s largest steelmaker faces 25% tariffs on any exports into the world’s largest economy after Donald Trump’s tariffs kicked in today.
A spokesman for BlueScope, which has billions of dollars invested and employs 4,000 people in the US, said the company was “disappointed” Australia did not receive exemption status, which it enjoyed during Trump’s previous stint in the White House.
But this sentence was followed up with two critical words: “for now”.
In other words, BlueScope isn’t giving up on a reprieve, and neither is the government, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made clear in a press conference on Wednesday.
