The controversy over the proposed new US tariffs continues. According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on the 4th, Australian Prime Minister Albanese said in an interview on the same day that any tariffs on Australian exports to the US are“Baseless.” And“Runs counter” to the free trade agreement between the two countries. “Not only are tariffs not in the interests of the United States, but more importantly, they undermine the global free trade system,” he said
The US trade office Tuesday proposed tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on 60 trading partners, including Australia, citing the economies’ “Failure to effectively address the issue of forced labor products.”. In response, albanese responded: “This is a manifestation of the ideological divide between the two countries.”“The U.S. government has broken with the decades-old consensus that tariffs do not benefit the country that imposes them,” Albanese said. Tariffs increase the cost of goods and services to consumers in the country where they are imposed… … free trade is in the interest of the global economy,” he said, australia has world-leading legislation dealing with forced labour and modern-day slavery, and the bill passed unanimously in parliament. Evans, Australia’s anti-slavery commissioner, said the US government was treating the issue of forced labour as a politically manipulative“Plaything” in its ongoing trade war.
According to a report by Brazilian newspaper Globo on the 4th, the Brazilian government issued a statement on the 3rd local time, “Strongly opposing” the US proposal for new tariffs, saying that this move distorts the issue of“Labor Protection.” To justify unilateral protectionist measures by the US. President Lula called for continued negotiations with the United States and said he may seek other trading partners if the United States is not willing to negotiate.
Mexico’s secretariat of Economy said Wednesday it would put forward arguments to rebut us claims of forced labor. Groups such as Mexico’s Chamber of Commerce and industry warned that the move would undermine the mexico-us-canada agreement and destabilise deeply integrated North n supply chains. India and Switzerland on the 3rd rejected the U. S. “Forced labor” allegations at the same time, said it would dialogue with the United States. The EU said there could be new friction between the US and the bloc.