Part 6/9:
The political landscape was further unsettled by imminent US trade policies, especially President Joe Biden’s threat to impose hefty tariffs—200% on pharmaceuticals and 50% on copper—should other countries fail to meet certain trade expectations. Australian politicians, including the Albanese government, responded with concern and urgency.
Hansen criticized Biden’s tariff strategy, explaining that tariffs serve as a tax on imported goods, which would ultimately lead to higher prices for Australian consumers. She expressed her longstanding opposition to tariffs, citing their historical damage to Australian manufacturing, which has suffered from overseas competition and the decline of domestic industries like steel, car manufacturing, and whitegoods.