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During his first presidential term, Trump exempted Australia from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium. Not this time around. The White House announced that the previously planned 25% tariffs on all imported steel and aluminium products into the U.S. from all countries would take effect on Wednesday, 12.03.2025.

Anthony Albanese said the decision by the Trump administration was "entirely unjustified ... and against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefit of our economic partnership."

However, he said imposing reciprocal tariffs on the U.S. would only raise prices for Australian consumers and spur inflation.

That’s only partly true. It could also dissuade Australian consumers from buying US products to which we apply tariffs. Why not apply them to products we would be better off not consuming, such as soft drinks for example ?

Today, the US has unilaterally decided to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium. Tomorrow, it could decide to impose similar tariffs on other products. For that reason alone, we should reciprocate in like fashion as a dissuasive measure.

It is important that the principles of fair trade be respected — especially among friendly nations.

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If Australians were serious about inflation they wouldn't so insanely overpay bureaucrats !

Unfortunately Trump shows his true colours, as the decaying American economy and its ravenous desire to consume the worlds diminishing resources (5% of the worlds population, Americans consume 25% of its resources), Trumps action in creating a tariff war with the rest of the world shows how desperate America is.

There are conservative and right wing radical elements in Australia who support Trumps actions at the expense of Australia. If Dutton and the Noalition are elected then they will show their true colours, and roll over and allow America to do to Australia, what it has been doing to most of the world for the past 80 years.

Albo throws billions of dollars at Whyalla factories to save Australian steel jobs (and maybe one or two ALP seats). Yeh shout the usual suspects. All praise to Albo - genuflect, swoon.

Trump adopts policies to save the US steel jobs. Boo say the usual suspects - down with Trump.

Trump was elected to save the jobs of US citizens. Some seem surprised to hear that!!.

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It is said, and no one seems to be denying it, that when we got an exemption last time around it was based on a promise to not abuse it by significantly increasing our exports of aluminium to the US. Once Trump was out we ignored that promised and ramped up our exports under the dumb Biden kleptocracy.

And now we seem surprised that Trump doesn't want to play that game again.

Of course a better negotiator than the Albo/Rudd clown show might have been able to show genuine contrition and perhaps avoided this problem... but alas it was beyond these two.

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"Why not apply them to products we would be better off not consuming, such as soft drinks for example ?"

In 2023, total US soft drink exports to Australia was valued at $2.3 million. Yeah, let's put a tariff on that huge market (!!). The US will be begging for mercy before ya know it. Struth.

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" If Dutton and the Noalition are elected then they will show their true colours, and roll over "

Whereas the ALP would never roll over....oh wait - they just did.

I agree with Jacqui Lambie, and Australia should kick the American guttersnipes out of the country, close down Pine Gap, get those American warmongers out of Northern Australia. They can take that ridiculous AUKUS nonsense with them, while we tear up that ANZUS rubbish at the same time! Australia should seek to be a non-aligned nation fostering good relations with ALL other nations, particularly in the Indo/Pacific region.

Lambie said; "Albanese should boot American intelligence and military personnel out of the country to send a clear message to Donald Trump that “we’re not going to put up with [his] nonsense”. Good onya' Jacqui!

p/s Disloyal Trumpsters here, and there are many, agree mhaze, selling out Australia, they should be put on trial for treason or mutiny or whatever the appropriate Anti-Australian charge should be! I say hang them from the yardarm, although I'm against capital punishment we can hang them by their little pinkies for a week and then cut them down.

Lambie seems like a windsock to me, a few days back she was carrying on about supporting Ukraine and sending more weapons.