Australian PM to press Trump on tariffs, Aukus defence pact at G-7 summit

SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he will meet US President Donald Trump at next week’s G-7 meeting in Canada where he plans to discuss trade tariffs and a defence pact put under review by Washington.

The G-7 summit starting on June 15 in the Canadian Rockies town of Kananaskis marks the first major global gathering of Mr Trump’s second term.

“We do have a meeting scheduled,” Mr Albanese told reporters, adding that he expected “a constructive engagement”.

“We’ll raise tariffs, we’ll raise the importance as well of Aukus, and we will have a discussion as two friends should,” he said from Seattle, as he makes his way to the G-7 summit.

The 2021 Aukus deal joins Australia, Britain and the United States in an effort to balance China’s growing military might.

The deal aims to arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines from the US and provides for cooperation in developing warfare technologies.

The Trump administration recently put the pact under review but Australian officials said it was “perfectly natural for an incoming administration to do”.

“The context of the Aukus discussions will be what Australia contributes, the potential that Aukus has to allow for a range of benefits to the United States,” he added.

Australia, a close US ally, has been slugged with a blanket 10 per cent tariff on goods exported to the US – rising to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium – as part of Mr Trump’s sweeping global duties.

“I will put forward Australia’s interests respectfully, because it is also in the interest of the United States for Australia to be treated appropriately,” Mr Albanese said. AFP