Australia prepares robust pushback on US tariff proposal as ambassador starts Washington posting
Australia's new ambassador to Washington has said Canberra will "robustly" push back against a new tariff proposal from the Trump administration. Greg Moriarty said Australia may also enlist Australian businesses in the effort as the government prepares a submission to the Office of the US Trade Representative. The move comes as the proposed levy on Australian imports is still moving through a consultation process.
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Mr Moriarty, who has replaced Kevin Rudd in the posting, described the tariff proposal as "extremely disappointing". He said the US trade office had flagged the measure after a recent investigation into forced labour. The proposal is reported to involve tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% for almost all of the United States' major trading partners, with Australia among the countries facing one of the larger rates.
The ambassador said he had already been in talks with members of the administration and with the US defence industry. He also said he had been warmly welcomed by President Donald Trump, who spoke positively about Australia and about the relationship between the two countries. Mr Moriarty said he had also been reassured by strong bipartisan support in Washington for AUKUS, the plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
The tariff dispute matters because it adds pressure to a relationship that is also central to defence co-operation. Australia is seeking an exemption or some other relief, but Mr Moriarty said the government was still working through the details of what exemptions might already apply. The issue also comes at a time when the US military shipbuilding programme is under scrutiny, which has raised questions around the delivery of the AUKUS plan.
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AUKUS has become one of the key pillars of Australia's security policy, linking Canberra more closely with the United States and the United Kingdom. The arrangement is intended to give Australia access to nuclear-powered submarines, but it has faced renewed controversy after concerns about the state of US shipbuilding. Mr Moriarty said the programme was "not where they want it to be", although he stressed that support for it remained strong across party lines.
What remains unclear is whether Australia will secure any exemption from the proposed tariff, and how much influence its submission to the trade office will have. It is also not yet clear whether Australian businesses will be formally brought into the lobbying effort. The next stage will be the consultation process, alongside continuing talks with US officials and defence figures over both trade and AUKUS.
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