[By Guancha Observer Network, Liu Chenghui] Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell revealed on June 8th that his meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Greer in Paris last week was "friendly," despite this, he strongly condemned U.S. President Trump's tariffs as "senseless." He said that the world has changed, and Australia is committed to expanding trade relations with other countries to reduce dependence on the United States.

According to reports from Agence France-Presse and Australia News Network, Farrell held talks last week in Paris with representatives from the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Farrell stated that the focus of these talks was on preventing "protectionism" and encouraging free and fair trade.

Farrell mentioned the trade surplus between the U.S. and Australia, saying: "My stance conveyed to Greer is that the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Australia are unreasonable. We hope to eliminate all tariffs, not just partially."

"In terms of our relationship, this is not a difficult discussion. I certainly believe we have the opportunity to continue conversations with Jamison (Greer) and Commerce Minister Rutnik to clarify our position."

Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell Australia News Network

He said that Australia remains determined to eliminate trade barriers.

"I believe that through open and honest discussions with our American allies, we can achieve this goal, but I certainly haven't given up hope of eliminating these tariffs."

"As long as there is an opportunity, I will continue to convey this stance to the U.S.," he said.

Farrell mentioned Prime Minister Albanese's upcoming visit to the U.S.

He said that although Australia and the U.S. have "various channels of communication," the most important thing is the relationship between the Australian Prime Minister and the U.S. President.

"Each meeting between the Australian Prime Minister and the U.S. President is crucial, and I am confident that the Prime Minister can fully articulate Australia's position,"

Farrell told Sky News the same day: "I hope that nations truly believing in free and fair trade can reach agreements to expand free trade agreements globally, so that no matter what Americans choose to do, we can have more diversified trading partners."

Farrell said he "believes" that Australia can reach a new trade agreement with the EU, and EU Commission President von der Leyen is expected to visit Australia in July or August.

"We have many things to sell to Europeans. I believe both sides now have the willingness to reach an agreement," he said.

"The world has changed, and countries that believe in free and fair trade must work together."

Currently, the U.S. trade barriers against Australian imports include: a 50% tariff on steel, a 25% tariff on aluminum, and a 10% comprehensive tariff on other goods.

Prime Minister Albanese expressed in early April that the U.S.' announcement of a 10% tariff on Australian goods "contradicts the foundation of the partnership between the two countries and is not the behavior of a friend." He emphasized that Australians have every right to believe that the Trump administration's actions have undermined the free and fair trade relationship between the two countries.

Last month, Farrell unusually refuted the Trump administration's tariff stance. He said that Australia would resist pressure from the Trump administration and refuse to cooperate with the U.S. on trade issues to jointly pressure China because China is a larger buyer of Australian exports.

The website of the "Australian Financial Review" reported that the Trump administration viewed tariffs as a way to "rebalance" global trade flows and exclude China.

However, in Farrell's view, the Australian government does not want to do this because its exports to China far exceed those to the U.S. Official data shows that in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Australia's exports to China amounted to 212 billion AUD (approximately 992.1 billion CNY), while exports to the U.S. were only 3.7 billion AUD (17.32 billion CNY).

He said that China is Australia's largest trading partner, and trade with China is "ten times more important" than trade with the U.S. for Australia. "We don't want to reduce but want to engage in more trade with China."

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513854952104591922/

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