Australia treasurer to discuss tariffs with US Treasury's Bessent in Washington

Australia's Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday he would visit the United States this week to meet with U.S. counterpart Scott Bessent for talks, including about tariffs.

Chalmers told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television that he would leave for Washington on Sunday "to hold one-on-one conversations with my Treasury counterpart," adding that trade and tariffs will be part of the discussion.

The trip comes after U.S. President Donald Trump this month agreed to consider exempting Australia from his steel and aluminium tariffs in view of its trade surplus with the U.S., following a phone call with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Chalmers said he did not expect to conclude discussions on steel and aluminium while in Washington, but looked forward to meeting with Bessent for the first time since he was sworn into his role.

Albanese said this month he remained confident a deal could be reached with Trump given the "tremendous start" of Australia's relationship with the new U.S. administration.

A key U.S. security ally in the Indo-Pacific, Australia is a small global exporter of steel, although it is the world's largest exporter of the main steelmaking raw material, iron ore.

Trump, during his first term, exempted Australia from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium.