Australia makes its case against US tariffs on steel, aluminium

‘Thousands of good-paying American jobs’ have been created by Australia’s steel and aluminium exports, its trade minister said on Monday

Reading Time:2 minutes

A worker stands next to a furnace at the BlueScope steelworks in Port Kembla, Australia, last year. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:01pm, 10 Feb 2025Updated: 1:03pm, 10 Feb 2025

Australia’s trade minister has said its steel and aluminium exports to the US create “good paying American jobs” and are key to shared defence interests, as Canberra presses Washington for an exemption to President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs.

Trump said on Sunday that he would introduce new 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, on top of existing metals duties, in another major escalation of his trade-policy overhaul.

Trade Minister Don Farrell said on Monday that Australia, a key US security ally in the Indo-Pacific, was making the case for “free and fair trade, including access into the US market for Australian steel and aluminium” in meetings with the Trump administration.

“Australian steel and aluminium is creating thousands of good-paying American jobs, and are key for our shared defence interests,” he said in a statement.

Freshly cut slabs of steel are seen at the BlueScope steelworks in Port Kembla, Australia, last year. Photo: Reuters

Farrell is yet to meet with his US counterpart, who has not been confirmed in the role, but Australian officials have been making representations on aluminium and steel exports for several months, seeking to secure a similar exemption from tariffs it won during the previous Trump presidency in 2018.