Anthony Albanese (left) and Donald Trump had a rare phone call lasting about 40 minutes. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque, file photo)
Anthony Albanese has used a rare call with Donald Trump to press for an exemption to the latest round of US tariffs.
He says the US president has promised to give "consideration" to his request.
The leaders also discussed AUKUS and the war in Iran.
The prime minister has used a rare phone call with Donald Trump to press for an exemption from the administration's latest round of sweeping tariffs, saying the US president has agreed to give "consideration" to his request.
Anthony Albanese called a snap press conference this morning after an overnight phone call with Mr Trump, the first since their extraordinary late-night exchange in March over the fate of Iranian female footballers in Australia.
The ABC was told the call went for about 40 minutes, and Mr Albanese described the conversation as "productive, constructive … and substantial".
The federal government complained loudly in July when the Trump administration announced a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Australia as part of a global regime of import taxes on countries the US claims have failed to remove forced labour from supply chains.
A new levy on exports from Australia into the US has taken effect, superseding the 10 per cent tariff that was expiring. Dozens of other countries have also been hit, but Australia's tariff is among the highest.
Australia maintains there is "no credible evidentiary basis" for the move, and senior government ministers believe the administration is simply trying to find a workaround after the Supreme Court struck down its 10 per cent tariffs in February.
Mr Albanese said he urged Mr Trump to "consider a full exemption" for Australia, or "at the very least no increase" from the old 10 per cent tariff rate.
"I informed him about our record when it comes to dealing with issues such as modern slavery, the strengthening that we have put forward as well, to look and hold companies accountable for the supply chain process as well," Mr Albanese said.
He said he did not put his request in "ideological" terms, but stressed the scale of Australian investment in the United States and that "over 20 years the US has had a trade surplus with Australia of US$442 billion".
"I put the argument very much to the president, as a friend of the United States, we would request that to be considered," he said.
He did not sound optimistic about Mr Trump budging, saying the two sides have "a different view" on tariffs, but said the US president promised to give "consideration" to his request.
