Key events
Marles describes ‘positive’ US talks
Caitlin Cassidy
Australia should take “at face value” what the prime minister and US president, Donald Trump, have said about potential tariff relief, the deputy prime minister and minister for defence, Richard Marles, has said after his trip to Washington.
Speaking on ABC 7.30 on Tuesday evening, Marles said both Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump had “made clear” an Australian exemption from tariffs put in place under the US administration was under active consideration after their conversation today.
That’s not said lightly … that was the agreement they reached in their conversation this morning which, having spoken with the prime minister himself, he said was very positive, very constructive. And we will obviously now work diligently to put forward our case for those exemptions to apply.
Pointed to accusations Australia had disregarded their commitments to restrain aluminium exports, Marles said he couldn’t speak for the former government which was a “matter for them to explain”.
We do roughly over $100bn of trade every year. It’s about two to one in favour of the US. In that sense, having that trade in a manner which is tariff-free is very much in the interests … of the US.
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Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
Richard Marles says the government has “hit the ground running” with the Trump administration as he returned from talks in the US amid the threat of tariffs being imposed on Austraian goods exported to the States. The deputy prime minister told the ABC last night that voters should take at “face value” comments by Anthony Albanese about positive talks with Donald Trump and the possibility of exemption from the proposed US levies. More coming up.
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