US President Donald Trump has hit all US imports during his “Liberation Day” speech earlier today.
Trump has continued to single out big tariffs on Australian beef, attributing them to the ban on the import of US beef in 2003 after cases of mad cow disease.
“Australia bans — and they’re wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef,” he said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the tariffs in a press conference this morning.
“This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship, “ he said.
Albanese has also confirmed Australia will “not compromise on biosecurity” and will not lift bans on importing uncooked US beef into the country.
Albanese said the American people are the ones who will pay the ultimate price for Trump’s trade war, which is why Australia will “not impose reciprocal tariffs”.
Since his election, Trump has been threatening to impose new tariffs on imports in an attempt to encourage Americans to buy more US goods and move production back into the United States. Since March, Australia has been threatened with pharmaceutical, agricultural and steel tariffs. In 2005 America and Australia had signed a free-trade agreement that exempted both countries from tariffs on imported goods.
Photo: Donald Trump RNC July 2016 by Ali Shaker/VOA is available HERE. The photo has not been modified.
