PM asleep on job while Trump smashes us with Tariffs, Opposition

Friday 11 July 2025

Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer

The Daily Telegraph

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 The Opposition has blasted Labor's handling of the US relationship after  Donald Trump's threat to impose a prohibitive 200 per cent tariff on pharma  imports.
 
 The Albanese government was left "urgently seeking" details after  the US President's announcement this week, despite months-long murmurs  Washington could take action on pharmaceuticals.
 
 The Trump administration has also not kept secret it was mulling further  sectoral tariffs to impose on top of baseline and "reciprocal"  rates.
 
 While Australia dodged the reciprocal tariffs earlier this year, it has not  been able to escape levies of up to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium.
 
 Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson accused Labor of taking a  "negligent and reticent approach" to dealing with Mr Trump.
 
 "The only fair tariff rate on Australia is 0 per cent given the  US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, given the US trade surplus with Australia,  which has been a lifetime of trade surplus," he told Sky News.
 
 "But again, this is an issue where I'm really worried about the  negligent and reticent approach that the government is taking. The Prime  Minister should be over there making the case in person with the President of  why Australia deserves an exemption, as (UK Prime Minister) Keir Starmer has  successfully advocated for in relation to steel and aluminium. And I'm  particularly worried about the reports today that pharmaceuticals could be  hit with an enormous tariff."
 
 Australia exported some $2.2bn in pharmaceuticals to the US in 2024, making  it the third-biggest export market for the country.
 
 "It's a very significant industry in Australia, which employs a large  number of people," Senator Paterson said.
 
 "It is advanced, high-end manufacturing, which is a very lucrative  industry and a very good trading relationship for both the United States and  Australia and, if that were hit, then that will have a very profound effect,  and we're just not fighting enough to make sure that it doesn't happen."
 
 Lobbyists in the US have urged Trump to consider using tariffs on Australia  to weaken the PBS but the Albanese government has been adamant the PBS is not  on the table.