Australian Prime Minister: US tariff measures "have no basis"

Australian Prime Minister Albanese said on the 4th that any tariffs imposed on Australian products by the United States are "completely unfounded," and that there are "ideological differences" between the two countries on trade issues. The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on the 2nd that the United States plans to impose tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on 60 economies, including Australia, on the grounds of "products made with forced labor not being banned from import." Albanese said on the 4th that the U.S. government's tariff policy goes against the long-standing consensus that tariffs do not benefit the country imposing them. Australian Treasury Minister Jim Chalmers also said on the same day that the proposed tariffs by the U.S. lack legitimate justification and are inconsistent with the spirit of the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.