Australia's leftist Prime Minister rejected a key request from Trump

The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and his rival in the May elections, the leader of the Liberal Party, Peter Dutton, have declared that they will not collaborate with the Trump administration in response to the tariff warning from the United States.

In January, Australia recorded its first trade surplus with the United States, thanks to the increase in gold exports, after decades of trade deficits.

Both countries have a free trade agreement that allows duty-free entry of American products. However, since 2003, a non-tariff measure has been imposed on American beef, preventing the entry of these products into Australia.

Albanese, who is in the electoral campaign, asserted that he will not yield to the demands of the United States, especially in three key areas: Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, its strict biosecurity control, and the Media Bargaining Code.

These areas were highlighted in a report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on foreign trade barriers, which included Australia's ban on fresh American beef, imposed after the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in American cattle in 2003.

Albanese mentioned that he would not change Australia's rigorous biosecurity regulations, as they could severely harm the country's meat industry, despite the fact that the incidence of BSE in the United States is practically nil.

Australia and the United States are two of the largest beef exporters in the world, and beef production in the United States has decreased, allowing Australia to increase its exports to markets in North America and Asia.

In 2024, Australia exported beef worth AUD4 billion to the United States, its largest market. Although exports to the United States represent a significant part of the Australian meat industry, Albanese emphasized that Australia is focused on diversifying its markets, with special interest in the emerging economies of Southeast Asia and India.

This is relevant given that trade with China, one of Australia's main trading partners, had previously been affected by a diplomatic dispute, which was finally solved last year.

Meanwhile, Dutton, leader of the Liberal Party, also assured that he would not seek cooperation with world leaders like Donald Trump, who requested the removal of this non-tariff barrier, with the aim of improving Australia's situation regarding import rights to the American market.

In an interview, Dutton stated that he would not hesitate to "fight for Australia's interests," regardless of the difficulties that might entail.

Additionally, he highlighted that Australia's relationship with the United States must be based on defending national interests, without compromising in key areas such as biosecurity policies and the regulation of tech giants.

The report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative also mentioned the 2021 Australian law that requires tech giants like Google and Meta to negotiate with media companies and compensate them for the links that generate traffic and advertising.

The socialist government of Albanese had already announced plans to tighten regulations, imposing hefty fines on these companies if they did not comply with paying Australian media for the content that appears on their platforms.

The Australian government's policy seeks to diversify trade relations and reduce dependence on traditional markets like the United States and China, taking advantage of opportunities in growing economies, especially in Asia.