Australia has been hit with a tariff of at least 10% on all exports to the US, as Donald Trump announced his new sweeping global trade regime, BBC reported.
Trump cited "trade barriers" such as Australia's biosecurity laws - singling out a ban on the import of US beef - as the reason for what he called a "reciprocal tariff".
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the measure "totally unwarranted", but said the nation would not introduce its own tariffs - also known as import taxes - in return.
The 10% dealt to Australia was the "baseline" measure, with the most severe tariffs - of up 49% - hitting countries like China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
"President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs. A reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10%," Albanese said at a press conference on Thursday.
"The administration's tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nation's partnership. This is not the act of a friend," he added.
Trump's new trade policy has hit the start of Australia's closely battled election campaign, where the cost of living will be a key voting issue.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the tariffs were a "bad day" for Australia and would be a "significant impost" on jobs across the nation.
He also said the new tariffs were a reflection on Albanese's relationship with Trump - who the prime minister had unsuccessfully been trying to organise a phone call with ahead of the decision.
