Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has suggested buying Australian soft drinks in response to America’s 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Australia.
This week, President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Australia, a move that Albanese told ABC Melbourne was entirely unjustified and said that it would have an impact on the global economy.
“I think that trade is a good thing for the global economy and that when you have protectionist policies that impact on prices then that will flow through to the global economy.”
Albanese did not call for a boycott of American products but suggested that one of the things Australians can do is buy Australian goods, such as the fourth-generation, family-owned business, Bundaberg.
“Australians can have an impact by buying Australian goods. You buy Bundy soft drinks rather than some of the American products. You can make those decisions and buy Australian. But we will continue to put forward our strong case for an exemption at every level.”
John McLean, CEO of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, said they are proud to be Australian-owned, Australian-made, and the drink that represents Australia.
“It’s already so hard to compete against these global giants. They’re bigger than us. We’re the Aussie brand punching above our weight to give them a run for their money. Being a family owned business in a regional town, we value supporting local communities because we acknowledge the contribution that this brings to the local economy.”
The Prime Minister ruled out placing its own tariffs on American goods, stating that tariffs have an impact on the country in which they are imposed.
“They increase prices, they increase inflation, and we don’t want to push up prices for Australian consumers. We’ll continue to engage constructively with the United States. We’ll make the case for Australian trade and the benefits that it delivers for Americans.”
To stay up to date on the latest industry headlines, sign up to the C&I e-newsletter.