Donald Trump says Australia has 'been calling' about tariffs and he will talk to prime ministerBy Brad Ryan in Washington DCTopic:Tariffs2h ago2 hours agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 8:10pmLoading...In short:Donald Trump was asked if he would speak to Australia's prime minister about trade, and said: "I will be talking to him, yes."Australia is among US trade partners trying to negotiate with the White House over its new tariffs on imports.The US's commerce secretary said a deal had been made with one trading partner, but refused to reveal which one.abc.net.au/news/us-president-donald-trump-to-talk-to-pm-trade-tariffs/105231952Link copiedShareShare articleUS President Donald Trump has acknowledged Australia's efforts to talk to him about trade and indicated he intends to speak to the Australian prime minister about the issue.As he prepared to board a flight in Washington, Mr Trump was asked: "The Australian prime minister is having an election this weekend. Will you speak to him about trade?"Mr Trump replied: "They are calling and I will be talking to him, yes."The Australian government has been attempting to negotiate with the Trump administration over its controversial tariffs regime, which includes a minimum 10 per cent tariff on almost all imports, and 25 per cent tariffs on specific products including aluminium and steel.Australia's failure to secure an exemption from any of the tariffs, despite running a consistent trade deficit with the US and putting a significant diplomatic effort into negotiations, has been a dominant issue in the election campaign.Australia faces 'lonelier' world with rules-based order crumblingPhoto shows Two men wearing glasses and suits behind the backdrop of the world map.The next federal government faces a world with drastic US policy changes, trade disputes, and ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East. Mr Trump had told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese he would consider exempting Australia from the metal tariffs in February.But in March, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the ABC: "He considered it, and considered against it. There will be no exemptions."Mr Albanese later called the decision "entirely unjustified" and "against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship".The opposition has frequently criticised the prime minister for not making more effort to speak directly to Mr Trump about the tariffs.Many of America's trading partners have been targeted with much higher tariffs, but their implementation is on hold to allow for negotiations towards new trade deals.Earlier on Tuesday, local time, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told business network CNBC a deal had been struck with one trading partner, but he would not say which one."I have a deal done," Mr Lutnick said. "But I need to wait for their prime minister and their parliament to give its approval, which I expect shortly."Meanwhile, the White House criticised online retailer Amazon over reports it was considering displaying the effects of tariffs on prices listed on its website.Ms Leavitt described the reported move as "a hostile and political act by Amazon".Amazon later ruled out the idea, prompting Mr Trump to praise its high-profile executive chairman, Jeff Bezos."He solved the problem very quickly," Mr Trump said. "He did the right thing. Good guy."Posted 2h ago2 hours agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 8:10pm, updated 48m ago48 minutes agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 9:24pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesAustralia faces a 'lonelier' world with rules-based order crumblingTopic:National SecurityPhoto shows Two men wearing glasses and suits behind the backdrop of the world map.Data shows shift in views towards Australia's relationship with US and ChinaTopic:Foreign AffairsPhoto shows A graphic shows a defence tank and aircraft over a map of Australia.There's a reason Dutton can't resort to a scare campaign with older AustraliansAAnalysis by Annabel CrabbPhoto shows Peter DuttonHolmes à Court fuels movement that denies he'll have seat at the tableTopic:Political Parties and MovementsPhoto shows shac tealFinal campaign dash as Albanese sweats on Dutton suburban fightbackTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Anthony Albanese takes a selfie with the public on a street.Related storiesWhat Trump's first 100 days say about the days to comeTopic:World PoliticsPhoto shows Donald Trump sits in front of gold curtains.Australia got a better deal than most, but US tariffs will hurt our alliesTopic:TariffsPhoto shows US President Donald Trump sits behind a desk in the White House rose garden, signing an executive order.Republican rancher introduces bill for 70pc tariff on Australian WagyuTopic:TariffsPhoto shows Marlin Stutzman sits at a desk.Related topicsAustraliaFederal GovernmentTariffsTradeTrade AgreementsUnited StatesWorld PoliticsTop StoriesAustralia faces a 'lonelier' world with rules-based order crumblingTopic:National SecurityPhoto shows Two men wearing glasses and suits behind the backdrop of the world map.Data shows shift in views towards Australia's relationship with US and ChinaTopic:Foreign AffairsThere's a reason Dutton can't resort to a scare campaign with older AustraliansAAnalysis by Annabel CrabbHolmes à Court fuels movement that denies he'll have seat at the tableTopic:Political Parties and MovementsFinal campaign dash as Albanese sweats on Dutton suburban fightbackTopic:ElectionsJust InDe Minaur powers through at Madrid as Djokovic pulls out of Italian OpenTopic:Tennis9m ago9 minutes agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 10:02pmSome HESTA members 'caught unawares' by super fund outageTopic:Superannuation31m ago31 minutes agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 9:40pmChinese community urges rethink on Labor, Coalition's Darwin Port plansTopic:Australian Federal Elections33m ago33 minutes agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 9:38pmFishing rod returned to owner 40 years after it was lost at seaTopic:Recreational Fishing34m ago34 minutes agoTue 29 Apr 2025 at 9:38pmMore Just InBack to top