US President Donald Trump says there will be "no exemptions" to his 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, although he is considering one for Australia.
Mr Trump made the declaration in the Oval Office as he signed executive orders introducing the new taxes late on Monday, local time.
Less than an hour before Mr Trump made his announcement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a press conference in Canberra where he said the US president was considering excusing Australia from the tariffs.
"It's 25 per cent, no exemptions, no exceptions," Mr Trump said after signing the orders.
"All countries, no matter where it [the steel and aluminium] comes from."
When asked about Mr Albanese's comments, Mr Trump confirmed he would give "great consideration" as to whether Australia should be exempt from his new tariffs.
He said Mr Albanese was "a great man".
Mr Trump said the new tariffs was "beginning of making America rich again".
"Our nation requires steel and aluminium to be made in America, not in foreign lands," he said.
Earlier on Monday, the looming tariffs on steel and aluminium imports were branded "completely needless" and "almost an insult to the people of Australia" on the floor of Congress.
Representative Joe Courtney, a Democrat from Connecticut, teed off about the new taxes in a session at the Capitol.
"Australia is a key strategic ally for our country. They are positioned in the Indo-Pacific at a place where, again, tensions are sky high and we need their input, their help in terms of making sure that we are going to rebalance that security environment and protect the rule of law and the Indo-Pacific," Mr Courtney told the house on Monday, local time.
"Instead, what we're seeing is a completely needless, almost insult to the people of Australia by raising tariffs of Australian products coming into this country."
If there really are no exemptions, the tariffs will affect some of America's closest allies, including Canada, Mexico and Australia, for whom the US is a key export market for the metals.
During his campaign last year, Mr Trump made it clear he thought multiple trading partners were ripping his country off, and said introducing wideranging tariffs would fix it.
Last year, Australia exported 223,000 tonnes of steel to the US, and 83,000 tonnes of aluminium.
When similar taxes were introduced during Mr Trump's previous term, Australia managed to negotiate an exemption — something politicians and industry heavyweights Down Under are keen to see happen again.
Mr Courtney, who co-chairs the Friends of Australia Caucus in Congress, said the new taxes were not needed.
"Today, the US economy has a trade surplus with Australia. We export more into Australia than they export back to us," he told the house.
Mr Albanese spoke to Mr Trump from Canberra on Tuesday morning, AEDT, and later held a press conference to announce an exemption from the tariffs was "under consideration".
The opposition has described it as a test for Mr Albanese and Australia's ambassador in Washington DC, former PM Kevin Rudd.
According to figures from Trading Economics, Australia's steel and iron exports to the United States were worth $US237 million ($377 million) in 2023.
Speaking on the ABC's 7.30 program, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who helped negotiate the previous tariff exemption for Australia when he was in power, warned a similar deal was not guaranteed this time.
"Do not be misled by the idea that there's any altruism in Washington towards Australia. Australians love to delude themselves to this," Mr Turnbull said.
"If we want to be respected, we have to stand up. The United States government, especially with Donald Trump, acts in the national interest of the United States."
Notwithstanding that, Mr Courtney pointed out Australia was a close partner of the US on Monday in Congress, and highlighted the fact Canberra was spending billions of dollars to buy American-made nuclear submarines over future decades under the AUKUS partnership.
Australia and the US signed a free-trade agreement, which came into effect in 2005.
It covers 96 per cent of goods, including steel, although Mr Trump's tariffs would change that.
