TARIFFS THREATEN AUSSIE JOBS

Labor urges Malcolm Turnbull to call President Trump to lock in exemptions for Australian steel and aluminium from the President’s tariffs announced overnight.   

 The President has just announced a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imports, but did not mention if these new tariffs would apply to Australian steel or aluminium imports.  

 

Last July the Prime Minister and Minister Cormann indicated that they had secured exemptions for Australian steel and aluminium after lobbying President Trump and other high ranking officials at the G20. 

 

Australian metals manufacturers export $270 million of steel and $70 million of aluminium to the US each year. 

 

If these new tariffs apply to Australia, it will put jobs at risk and will likely result in a significant increase in the dumping of cheap foreign steel into Australia. 

 

While the Trump Administration finalises these new tariffs over the coming days, Turnbull should call the President directly and lock in exemptions to protect Australian jobs.