Anthony Albanese urges Donald Trump to reconsider Australia tariffs during lengthy overnight phone call

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has directly urged US President Donald Trump to reconsider tariffs on Australian goods in a “lengthy and substantial” overnight phone call between the two leaders.

Mr Albanese confirmed the call on Friday morning, revealing the pair discussed tariffs, AUKUS, critical minerals, the conflict in the Middle East and developments across the Pacific during what he described as a “very warm and productive” conversation.

“I did raise this issue,” Mr Albanese said when asked whether he had sought relief from US tariffs.

“The ask that I made of the President is that he consider (a) full exemption or at the very least no increase.”

Mr Albanese said he made Australia’s case by pointing to the free trade agreement between the two countries and the United States’ longstanding trade surplus with Australia.

“I was able to say to the President, of course, that we have a Free Trade Agreement with the United States — all goods and services are exempt from tariffs to Australia,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the United States had recorded a $US442 billion trade surplus with Australia over the past 20 years, while Australian investment in the US had increased across defence, critical minerals, rare earths and manufacturing.

“I put the argument very much to the President as a friend of the United States, we would request that that be considered,” he said.

“The President agreed that he would give consideration to my request.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged the pair remained divided on tariffs, saying the Australian Government continued to believe they were an “economic imposition”, while Mr Trump had consistently taken a different position.

Mr Albanese said he had put Australia’s case “as strongly as I could”, describing the exchange as a “constructive discussion about why Australia should get at least the best treatment”.

AUKUS ‘full-steam ahead’

The leaders also reviewed the progress of AUKUS, with Mr Albanese declaring the security partnership remained “full-steam ahead”.

“We agreed it was a project that is and will continue to deliver benefits for the United States, for Australia, and for the United Kingdom,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the leaders discussed progress on AUKUS Pillar II and Australian defence technology, including the Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark uncrewed systems.

Critical minerals were high on the agenda, with the Prime Minister pointing to more than $3.5 billion worth of projects and recent US investment in the Sunrise Energy Metals project near Dubbo.

The pair also discussed artificial intelligence, investment between Australia and the US and Australia’s growing security relationships across the Pacific.

Trump briefs Albanese on Middle East conflict

Mr Albanese said he also received an “extensive update” from Mr Trump about the conflict involving Iran, but declined to reveal some details because they were classified.

“I expressed our view that we wanted to see an end to the conflict there,” he said.

“It is having an impact on Australia and, indeed, on the global economy.”

Mr Albanese said Mr Trump “expressed his confidence going forward” but stressed it was up to the US President to outline Washington’s military strategy.

The call comes ahead of further face-to-face contact between the two leaders, with Mr Albanese saying he expects to visit the United States at least twice this year, including for the United Nations in New York and the G20 in Florida in December.

“It was a productive and wide-ranging call,” Mr Albanese said.

“It was very warm and productive, and the President did ask me today — I told the President I would be talking about this this morning, and he wanted to pass on his best wishes to the people of Australia, who he feels a great warmth towards.”