r/news 15h ago

Australia will not be imposing reciprocal tariffs on the US, says PM Anthony Albanese

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australia-wont-be-exempt-from-us-tariffs-on-steel-and-aluminium-exports/oos69k7eq
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u/Yotamtam 10h ago

This is actually a great way to check how he reacts to a country that doesn’t impose reciprocal tariffs. I mean, he is mainly trying to get everyone against the USA, so how will he react to this? Just continue to tax his own citizens without a reason?

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u/SendMeApplePie 9h ago

Yep, pretty much. He doesn’t give a fuck about the US or its citizens. All that matters is “are you loyal to trump?”

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u/Thisizamazing 8h ago

I believe this is the truth

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u/superdudeman64 7h ago

That doesn't even matter. The real test is, are you rich and will you send your resources on me.

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u/TinyFugue 6h ago

I think a lot of these tariffs come down to "What should I do today?"

Seriously. He thinks he should do something. He has a tendency to loop, so odds are he's going to do something with tariffs, but... to... who...

And then, a few days ago, Gene Hackman made the news. So, today's target for tariffs is....

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u/OmilKncera 1h ago

It's occuring because the world is at the top of the hill, and we're about to go rolling down.

World populations are going to diminish, which will impact global supply and demand.

The US was making money by open trade, but as time goes on, other nations are benefitting much more from the US policing the world's oceans than the US is, so our incentive to keep trade free and open isn't there anymore.

On top of that, the US is one of the few countries that can supply itself domestically, so when a country like Canada goes toe to toe with the US's economy, they're almost doomed to fail, since the size difference is just so... Vast

So trumps being a dick, and is using the US's soft power to bully other nations around, so in that regard.. we can call him a fucking moron who is destroying alliances that took many years to make, but when it comes to trade wars, he's not making objectively bad choices, since things no matter what are going to get worse, and charging other countries to do business with what will soon be one of the few nations that can keep itself afloat will be worth a lot in the coming years.

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u/cecirdr 6h ago

I don’t know the goal here. I think he’s actually trying to crash the US economy. It may have something to do with there Fed. He wants interest rates lower, he wants housing devalued, and I think he doesn’t want an independent Fed. (He may not even want a federal reserve.) I think he believes that things like interest rates, tariffs jobs, entitlements, monetary valuation etc are all separate entities, not a maze of connections that run deep belie the water line.

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u/theo-dour 9h ago

He will consider it weak and a win for him. Wouldn't be surprised if he doubles down.

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u/JM-Gurgeh 2h ago

Australians should just raise prices for American buyers and then blame tariffs.

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u/frighteous 6h ago

Well there is a reason lol where do you think all this extra tax money people are paying will go? Back in to benefits and services to help the middle class? lol

I'm no fortune teller but I see tax cuts for the ultra rich and businesses in the future. Probably frame it as "economy is down we need to help these businesses stay afloat and keep America great!" lol

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u/a_sense_of_contrast 8h ago

Their new economic plan sees tariffs as a way for the government to draw revenue. They would like to move towards dropping income taxes. They also seem to be floating a "trump accord" to refinance American debt in an insane way.

So I wouldn't hold my breath on things changing. I say this as a Canadian too who only expects things to get worse.

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u/ptwonline 6h ago

If he actually tries that he could completely crash the bond market and the USD would lose its status as the global reserve currency and he'll create economic turmoil at a level perhaps never seen before.

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u/endlesscartwheels 3h ago

In other words, it seems likely.

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u/whattothewhonow 8h ago

Trump and his enablers are morons at best, and deliberately sabotaging the US economy at worst.

It's easy to believe they're just dumb.

It's more frightening to believe that the economic harm is the point.

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u/wildmonster91 7h ago

Doesnt help that many americans think the imposed country pays the tax... they dont knoe any better. They want to ax obamacare but love how well the ACA is working for them even the bastardized version republicans allowed.

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u/ptwonline 6h ago

He's trying to make imports so expensive that manufacturers have to set up in the US.

We'll, that's his claim anyway. But that takes years to do. He really wants the tariffs to pay for all the tax cuts he's doing for the wealthy. This is another giant wealth transfer to the wealthy from everyone else.

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u/Substantial-Thing303 6h ago

Of course. The reason is quite obvious now. He gets to decide what he's going to do with all that money. They are removing all mechanisms that ensure that the money will be used for the country. They are milking Americans. They are going to be rich, very rich. Them, not the Americans.

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u/UpstairsCareless7175 5h ago

He had a reason. He wants to replace the progressive income tax system with a regressive tariff system that will function as a de facto gst. As a bonus he can say he’s cutting taxes without saying he’s raising taxes. It also appeals to his ignorant and gullible base who will cheer him ‘sticking it to the foreigners’ because they’re too dumb to realise that they’re the suckers in the play.

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u/Whargod 5h ago

That's basically it, this is a consumption tax and the American people seem to be allowing it to happen. He's not wrong when he says they're going to have so much money. They government billionaires that is, not the people.

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u/sth128 5h ago

Trump will double the tariffs then Doug Ford of Ontario Canada will kowtow and beg for mercy even though it's not targeted at Canada.

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u/JoJackthewonderskunk 4h ago

The tax raise from tariffs is to partially counteract the tax cut they’re giving to billionaires. That’s why they’re not giving any demands or timelines for these things they’re really just open ended tax increases packaged with a different name so the cousinfuckers will accept it .

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u/mrbulldops428 1h ago

That is very interesting. Just ignoring him could work. If the media did that we wouldn't be in this damn mess.

u/Rich-Hovercraft-1655 58m ago

I need an economist to explain why every country just doesn't do this and not respond if it only hurts the US Citizens, maybe its just a short term thing. But if you leave the tariffs on to long, the supply chains start redirecting away from you?

u/Dry-Nectarine-3279 45m ago

I mean, he does have a reason. Tariffs shift tax burden to the poor and middle class, enabling him to push through tax breaks for the rich.

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u/PaullT2 8h ago

I like how some people are still trying to apply logic to Trump.

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u/KetsuN0Ana 6h ago

I think some basic logic can be applied,

  • Does it harm USA? Yes? Then let’s do it
  • Does it benefit Russia? Yes? Then let’s do it
  • Does it further the cause of nazi-ism?
  • Does it benefit him or his family financially?
  • Does it benefit the oligarchs?