Leaders of Australia and Indonesia Convene to Address Implications of Trump Tariffs
Anthony Albanese and Prabowo Subianto met at the APEC leaders summit in Peru.
The impending tariffs on imported goods by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump were discussed during a meeting between the leaders of Australia and Indonesia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit in Lima, Peru.
Trump has suggested tariffs between 10 and 20 percent on imports to the United States, and up to 60 percent for Chinese goods.
Australia’s exports to the United States were valued at $35.4 billion (US$22.8 billion) in 2023, making it the country’s fifth-largest export market. Indonesia’s exports to America were worth $36.1 billion (US$23.28 billion) in the same year, ranking second in value.
“Obviously, that’s part of the backdrop of APEC and the G20, which is what the impact of a change in U.S. administration will have,” Albanese told reporters.
The Australian Prime Minister congratulated the President-elect shortly after his victory, while the Indonesian President called him after arriving in Washington en route to Peru.
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Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech after a meeting with Peru’s President Dina Boluarte at the government palace in Lima on November 14, 2024, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Photo by HUGO CUROTTO/AFP via Getty Images
“We’ll do that, anytime you want,” Trump replied, adding that the Indonesian leader was “very respected” and praising his English. Prabowo, a former special forces commander, replied: “All my training is American, sir.”
Albanese’s Schedule
Meanwhile, Albanese also met with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to discuss mining and agriculture.
When asked if he also planned to meet with CCP Leader Xi Jinping, who has arrived in Lima, he was noncommittal, saying, “We’ll make announcements at appropriate times.”
When asked if he had considered making a journey from Lima to Florida to meet the president-elect in person, he said he would “have a meeting with President Trump when it is organised.”
“We spoke about gathering, and I’m sure that will occur.
“I intend to be in [Australia’s] Parliament next Thursday,” he said, adding that he believed that so far, his relationship with the U.S. leader was “very constructive” and “very positive.”
AAP contributed to this article.
