JAKARTA - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has protested the United States (US) plan to impose additional tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on imported goods from at least 60 countries, including Australia, on the grounds of alleged forced labor in production.
"There is an ideological difference where the United States government has violated the understanding that has been going on for decades - tariffs do not have a positive impact on the country that implements them," Albanese said in an ABC report, Thursday, June 4, reported by ANTARA.
Previously, the 10 percent tariff plan that had been proposed against Australian imports had been canceled by the US Supreme Court in February.
Albanese reiterated that any tariffs imposed on Australian exports to the US were "unjustified and inconsistent" with the free trade agreement (FTA) that binds the two allied countries.
"These tariffs are actually increasing the cost of goods and services for consumers in the countries that implement them... even though free trade is in the interest of global economics," said Albanese.
"This policy was issued without prior notice. One of the things we expect in international relations is certainty. Australia and the United States are important allies," he said, adding.
Closing his statement, Albanese regretted the US policy dynamics which continued to change but still harmed its trading partners.
"It is unfortunate that a series of decisions continue to roll - some of which change over time - but they all have the same common thread, namely that the United States is now a supporter of tariff policies," he said.
Agreeing with PM Albanese, Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell also called the US tariff plan "unfair".
This protest was delivered directly in a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, on the sidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting in Paris, Wednesday night (3/6).
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