Chalmers rebuffs US claim Australia broke ‘verbal’ exports agreement

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Chalmers rebuffs US claim Australia broke ‘verbal’ exports agreement

Jim Chalmers has rebuffed the Trump administration’s claim that Australia violated a “verbal commitment” to voluntarily limit aluminium exports.

The White House made the claim after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order slapping brutal 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports “without exemptions or exceptions”.

Asked on Wednesday if Australia had broken any agreement, the Treasurer said: “Not that I’m aware of.”

“I’ve obviously seen the reports out of DC,” Mr Chalmers told Seven’s Sunrise.

“This happened under a previous Coalition government.

“They may be able to provide a bit more colour and context around some of these sorts of claims.

“No doubt we’ll be able to find a way … to get to the bottom of what’s happened there.”

Mr Chalmers pointed out the negotiations Mr Trump mentioned took place “almost a decade ago”, when Malcolm Turnbull was Australia’s prime minister during Mr Trump’s first administration.

According to a White House proclamation, the “volume of US imports of primary aluminum from Australia has also surged and in 2024 was approximately 103 per cent higher than the average volume for 2015 through 2017”.

“Australia has disregarded its verbal commitment to voluntarily restrain its aluminum exports to a reasonable level,” it said.

But Mr Turnbull has rejected the claim, saying steel was the focus of negotiations at the time.

Camera IconTreasurer Jim Chalmers says he is not aware Australia has broken any export agreements with the US. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia

Despite the uncertainty sparked by Mr Trump’s order, Mr Chalmers said the conversation between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the US President on Tuesday was “very, very positive”.

“The conversation that happened yesterday was very productive, very positive,” Mr Chalmers said.

“Prime Minister Albanese made the case for our steel and aluminium exporters standing up for our national economic interest, and for *********** jobs.

“I think it’s a good thing that President Trump said he would be willing to consider that exemption.

“We obviously don’t take any outcome for granted, but I think yesterday’s conversation between the two leaders was a positive step.”

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