EDITORIAL: Trump trade sanctions would be a betrayal

The idea that the US, under any president, would have the temerity to suggest random trade sanctions on Australia is an outrage. The fact Donald Trump is forcing the Australian Prime Minister to explain why punishing its closest ally for no apparent reason is a bad idea is, well, just silly.

As we know, Anthony Albanese is no fan of Mr Trump. But times change, and that’s OK too: Mr Albanese’s job now is at all costs getting the best possible result for Australia.

If it means he has to set aside is own personal views of Mr Trump, and revel in the US President’s assessment of him as a “very fine man”, then that’s what must be done. He might have a quiet smile that Mr Trump thinks he’s an OK guy, but the overwhelming emotion he must be feeling is relief.

It’s a promising sign that Australia is on track to secure an exemption from Mr Trump’s punitive 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium exports to the US.

Like other prime ministers before him, Mr Albanese made the case to Mr Trump in a phone call that Australia should score a pass because of the significant trade deficit we run with the US.

The value of American imports to Australia outweighs that of goods going the other way by about $31.5 billion.

It’s a fact that Mr Trump said would mean he would give “great consideration” to a potential Australian carve-out. As encouraging as that is, it means little right now. The executive order signed by Mr Trump contains no such carve-out.

“It’s 25 per cent without exceptions or exemptions, and it’s all countries, no matter where it comes from,” Mr Trump said.

In fact, it contains a whack at Australia for ramping up exports to the US in the years since a previous exemption was secured to since-revoked tariffs during Malcolm Turnbull’s time as prime minister.

The race is now on to reach an agreement with the US before the tariffs come into effect from March 12.

Recent history has shown that Mr Trump’s trade war bark is often worse than his bite. Canada and Mexico both received last-minute stays of execution when Mr Trump agreed to defer threatened tariffs for a month.

But if Mr Trump does follow through with universal application of these steel and aluminium tariffs, it would be the most egregious betrayal of Australia by an American government in the history of our more than century-old alliance.

Since our nations’ troops first fought alongside one another in the Battle of Hamel on France’s Western Front, the US has had no more loyal friend than Australia.

It’s a friendship based on our shared democratic values, and until recently, a common belief in the importance of free and open trade.

It’s a friendship that has seen us support the US through military conflicts far from our own shores. The US’s permanent military presence in Australia is strong and accelerating.

To betray that friendship would be a despicable act. It’s a good start from Mr Albanese, now his officials, including Kevin Rudd, need to secure the result.