Australia looks forward to tariff engagement with US

Australia is looking forward to continued engagement with the United States about the "totally unjustified" tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with talks between both leaders planned, according to local media.

Australia's Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt said, "We look forward to being able to continue the engagement we've had with the American administration about the tariffs that we think are totally unjustified," as quoted by the Australian Associated Press on Wednesday.

Watt was responding to reports that US President Donald Trump would be speaking to Australia's prime minister over the tariffs, which include a 10 percent baseline tariff on Australian exports to the US.

Trump's latest comments were being viewed in a positive light, AAP quoted Watt as saying ahead of Australia's federal election on May 3.

Watt said that Australia's Prime Minister Albanese "spoke to President Trump about these matters some time ago … we look forward to re-engaging at that level, and we'll be making a very strong case that these tariffs shouldn't be applied to Australia".

Australia's Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on a local radio program that while Australia wasn't the only country hit by the US tariffs, the government was "uniquely well placed" to argue its case for their removal.

"We've made it clear we're engaging wherever we can, whenever we can – obviously, that happens at the highest levels as well," the AAP quoted him as saying.

"We think that those tariffs are unwarranted, we think they're unwise," Chalmers said.