PM keeps door open to unlikely pre-poll Trump trip if tariff crisis worsens
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is keeping open the low-probability option of a last-minute dash to the White House ahead of the federal election if the government judges it would sway Donald Trump towards granting Australia a tariff exemption.
While a near-term visit to the White House is not being seriously considered, the ABC understands it has not been entirely taken off the table either.
A source familiar with the prime minister’s thinking said the government would do whatever it thought was needed to protect exporters.
While Mr Albanese is focused on preparations for the upcoming election campaign, a visit to the White House could be a wildcard.
On a phone call on Tuesday morning — the first between the two men since Mr Trump’s return to office last month — Mr Albanese and the president discussed their mutual desire for an in-person meeting.
Mr Albanese confirmed he and Mr Trump discussed a face-to-face meeting. (Supplied: X/@anthonyalbanese)
That may be as part of a gathering of “Quad” leaders from India, Japan, the US and Australia later in the year, or an earlier bi-lateral meeting.
Mr Albanese did not indicate whether it could be before or after an election, which is due no later than May 17.
“Yes, we discussed that and we’ll get together at the Quad or before,” Mr Albanese said on Tuesday. “We look forward to having one-on-one discussions as well. But we’ll continue to be in contact.”
Despite winning a personal assurance this week from Mr Trump that he would give “great consideration” to an Australian carve-out from looming steel and aluminium tariffs, Mr Albanese may yet fall short given staunch opposition by some of Mr Trump’s closest trade advisors led by Peter Navarro.
Even without the backdrop of a pending domestic election campaign, a meeting with Mr Trump would involve significant political risks for the prime minister. The president could seek an unexpected quid pro quo, or change his mind at the last minute about an exemption.
There is also a view that Mr Albanese is better served pursuing a steady, methodological and low-volume approach that emphasises Australia’s case for a carve-out.
Labor’s diplomatic efforts have escalated since Mr Trump’s inauguration last month, which was attended by Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Defence Minister Richard Marles was in Washington over the weekend.
Mr Trump this week announced 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel imports from American allies, including the European Union, Canada, Brazil and Australia. They are due to take effect from March 12.
World leaders make pilgrimage to White House
Mr Albanese is under pressure to secure an exemption for Australian shippers, matching a carve-out secured by former Coalition prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2018.
However, there are ongoing doubts that Mr Trump will allow for special treatment amid criticism from an influential group of the president’s top trade advisers led by Peter Navarro.
A well-known trade hawk, Mr Navarro said on Wednesday that Australia is “killing” the US aluminium market by flooding it with the metal since Mr Trump granted a tariff exemption in his first term.
“President Trump says ‘no, no we’re not, we’re not doing that any more.’ Our aluminium industry is on its back,” Mr Navarro told CNN. “What they do is they just flood our markets.”
Peter Navarro has pointed the finger at nations like Australia for “killing” the US aluminium industry. (AP: Jose Luis Magana)
Though unlikely at this stage, Mr Albanese would be far from the only foreign leader making the trek to Washington.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to meet Mr Trump at the White House on Thursday, Washington time, following on the heels of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s meeting last week.
British newspapers reported this week that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Mr Trump in Washington before the end of the month for their first meeting since the new president took office for the second time.
