John MacDonald: I'm not going anti-America over the tariffs

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reckons people in Australia are going to feel dumped-on by the United States after yesterday’s trade tariffs announcement. And he thinks that Australians will feel differently about Australia's relationship with America.  

Like us, imports into the United States from Australia are going to be hit with a 10% tariff.  

And Albanese —who is on the campaign trail— is talking tough, saying that the tariffs are “not the act of a friend” and Aussies won't be taking kindly to it.  

I’m not going to speak on behalf of Australians, but I don’t feel that way at all. We knew these tariffs were likely. We knew they were coming. I don't like them, but it's not going to change how I feel about our relationship with America.    

One political commentator across the Tasman is describing the tariffs this way, saying they are “unprecedented hostility from an ally”.  

Brad Setser —a former Department of Treasury economist in the States— described them on Newstalk ZB as "shockingly radical".  

They also show that, when it comes to Donald Trump, you can do as much sucking-up as you want but it won’t make any difference.  

Trump doesn’t do special relationships. Look at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to the White House and all the cosying up and handing-over of the letter from the King.  

That came to nothing. Britain’s been hit with a 10% tariff. It’s even worse for Europe, which has been hit with a blanket 20% tariff – despite France's president and Poland’s president having fireside chats with Trump at the White House in recent weeks.  

Israel dropped its tariffs on US goods the day before yesterday’s announcement, but still got hit with a 17% tariff.  

Although, our Trade Minister Todd McClay reckons there might be some wriggle room for countries facing tariffs higher than the 10% minimum.  

As for Australia’s PM, he’s condemned the tariffs, saying they are totally unwarranted. Going on to say that he thinks they will have an impact on the way Australians view Australia’s relationship with America.  

He didn’t go into any great detail on that - but I don’t feel any differently. And I suspect most Kiwis won’t feel any differently.  

I don’t think we are suddenly going to go all anti-America on it just because the products we export to the United States are going to be more expensive over there because of the tariffs.  

I think if anyone is anti-America, they’ll be anti-America already.  

Like the guy who won’t let Americans stay at his Airbnb. Mario Schmidt hasn’t been letting Americans make bookings with him since the scene with Ukraine’s President in the White House. So he’s anti-Trump and anti-America already.  

Anyone who is going to be anti-Trump and anti-America will be already, and everyone else will see the tariffs for what they are: a fact of life that we can’t do anything about.  

We have to like it or lump it, and they will make no difference to the way Kiwis feel about America.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Alberizi. He reckons people in
Australia are going to feel dumped on by the United
States after yesterday's trade tariff's announcement, and he thinks that
Australians will feel very differently about Australia's relationship with America.
So like US imports into the States from Australia are

(00:35):
going to be hit with a ten percent tariff. And Alberinizi,
who of course is on the campaign trail, he's talking tough.
He's saying that the tariffs are quote, not the act
of a friend and that Ozzie's won't be taken kindly
to it.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I'm not going to speak on behalf of Australians, but
I don't feel that way at all. We knew the
tariffs were likely, we knew they were coming. I don't
like them, but it's not going to change how I
feel about our relationship relationship with America. They're not going
down well. The one political commentator across the Tasman's described

(01:13):
in the tariffs this way, saying that quite unprecedented hostility
from an ally and Brad Setser, a former Department of
Treasury economists in the States. He put it this way
when he spoke to Mike earlier.

Speaker 4 (01:25):
It's a shockingly radical shift in policy. I mean, I
think everyone knew that President Trump wanted to raise tariffs,
but even in a context where there was an understanding
that President Trump wanted to raise tariffs, he wrote increased
tariffs on a host of trading partners by more than expected.

(01:50):
This is a fundamental break in the post World War
two US international economic policy approach, and it's an enormous
political and economic risk for President Trump. I mean, the
magnitude of the tariff increase does, in my view, threaten
to push the US into a recession. It was it's

(02:12):
such a big increase, so broad based, so poorly targeted.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
They also shown that when it comes to Donald Trump,
you can do as much sucking up as you want,
but it won't make any difference. As the political website
saying today, Trump doesn't do special relationships, pointing to British
Prime Minister Keirs Darma's recent visit to the White House
and all the cozying up and remember that the hand.
I've got a letter from the King for you. It

(02:36):
came to nothing. Britain's been hit with a ten percent tariff.
Even worse for Europe been hit with a blanket twenty
percent tariff, despite France's president and Poland's president as well
having fireside chats with Trump at the White House in
recent weeks. He doesn't do special relationships. He doesn't do
deals for mates or cobbers. Israel dropped their tariff's on

(02:59):
US goods the day before yesterday's announcement, still got a
hit with a seventeen percent tariff, although our Trade Minister
Todd McClay he reckons there might be some regal room
for countries facing tariffs higher than the ten percent minimum.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
I think what they're actually saying to some countries of
the world is, you know, you you sell us more
than you buy from us. We want you to buy more.
But it's not the way tariff rates to work out.
And will will will go, I mean, ironically, and he's
buy a new eraplane the next week or so, on
next month or so, and you know it'll swing in
the other direction. So we'll make that case to them,

(03:33):
but it won't change the ten percent, because that's the
bottom that they're said they're putting on any country.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
So back to Australia's Prime Minister Anthony ALBERNIZI he's condemned
the tariffs, saying they're totally unwarranted, going on to say
that he thinks they'll have an impact on the way
Australians view Australia's relationship with America. He didn't go and
do any great detail on that. But I don't feel
any differently about America, and I suspect most Kiwis won't
feel any differently either. I don't think we're suddenly going

(04:00):
to go all anti America on it just because the
products we export to the States are going to be
more expensive over there because the tariffs. I reckon if
anyone's anti America, they'll already be anti America. By the
guy at North who won't let Americans stay it as Airbnb.
You might have heard them talking to Ryan on Drive
earlier in the week. Mario Schmidt hasn't been letting Americans

(04:23):
make bookings with them since the scene with Ukraine's president
in the White House. So he's anti Trump and he's
anti America already, And I reckon. Anyone who's going to
be anti Trump and anti America will already be, and
everyone else will see the tariffs for what they are.
They're a fact of life. We can't do anything about them.
We have to like it or lump it. And as

(04:45):
far as I'm concerned, anyway, they will make no difference
to the way Keewis feel about America.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
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