Every country in the world just watched Trump being full of it in regard to trade policies. Besides virtually breaking the trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that he negotiated. Time and time again he has a whinge that he wants to be treated fairly. We will tariff them the same as they tariff us. Australia has no tariffs on American goods and has a positive trade balance with America. This means Australia has brought more in dollar terms than what America has brought from Australia.
12 Mar 2025 - Australia rules out reciprocal move on US after Trump proceeds with steel tariffs
13 Mar 2025 - ‘Dumpers’: Trump’s commerce secretary Howard Lutnick attacks Australia in tariff war of words
He has told Fox Business that the new tariffs that went into effect yesterday will protect America from cheap aluminium coming in from Australia and steel from Japan.
“Look, you’ve got dumpers in the rest of the world. Japan dump steel. China dump steel. What that means is they make it, they over produce and they sell it dirt cheap to try to drive our guys out of business,” he said.
Not that I think Americans will care they can run the world by themselves. There are Australians in the mainstream media suggesting the alliance with America is done. Four more years of this circus is a bridge too far.
12 Mar 2025 - Questions raised over US alliance after Trump rejects Australian tariff exemption
For the first time since Trump’s election in November and his inauguration in January, there is a clear rift between the Australian Labor government and the US administration, and open discussion in ruling circles over the viability of the American-Australian alliance.
Australia is not unique, with the tariffs applying across the board. Numerous other US allies have thus also received a snub. The immediate economic hit is relatively limited, with Australian steel and aluminium exports to the US worth a modest $1 billion or so per year.
However, the slap-down has vast political implications. Few imperialist powers in the world have tied their cart as closely to the American state as has the Australian ruling elite. For more than 80 years, the US has been Australia’s chief geopolitical ally. Its own predatory operations, particularly in the South Pacific, have been underwritten by the alliance and security guarantees ratified in instruments such as the ANZUS treaty.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/03/13/mlus-m13.html