Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CANBERRA, May 31 (Xinhua) — Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell on Saturday called U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to double tariffs on steel and aluminum an “unreasonable” act of economic “self-harm.”
On Friday, D. Trump announced that he plans to raise the tariff rate on steel and aluminum imports to the United States from 25 percent to 50 percent starting June 4 to protect American industry from foreign competition.
Commenting on the statement, D. Farrell stressed that Australia’s position remains “consistent and clear” and the federal government will continue to advocate strongly for the removal of the relevant tariffs.
“These tariffs are unjustified and not an act of friendship,” the Australian minister said in a statement. “They are an act of economic self-harm that will only hurt consumers and businesses that rely on free and fair trade,” he added.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose Labor Party won a second straight general election on May 3 by a landslide, in turn described Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs in April as “an unfriendly act.”
The US administration decided in March not to exempt Australia from steel and aluminium tariffs. At the time, Mr Albanese also said that the decision was contrary to the “strong friendship” between the two countries. –0–