Australia ready to absorb the impact of tariffs imposed by Trump, prime minister

Australia is ready to absorb the impact of tariffs decided by U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday. These U.S. taxes are an 'act of economic self-destruction' but 'no country is better prepared' to face this challenge than Australia because it will be able to seize trade opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, Albanese, 62, who heads the center-left Labor Party, said in Sydney.

He was speaking in front of right-wing opposition leader Peter Dutton during a first televised debate ahead of the highly contested May 3 legislative elections. 'We will of course continue to negotiate with the United States to seek a better deal for Australia,' whose exports Trump wants to tax at 10%, 'because reciprocal tariffs would naturally be zero since we do not impose tariffs on U.S. products,' the head of the government continued.

Dutton, a former police officer aged 54, suggested that he would show more firmness if the coalition supporting him were to win next month. For him, the prime minister must have 'the ability and strength of character necessary to stand up to tyrants, to those who seek to harm us, and to maintain the security of our country,' he said. After suffering a drop in the polls towards the end of his three-year term, Albanese’s Labor Party seems to be gaining ground in the final stretch before the legislative elections.