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The threatened US tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium exports became reality yesterday. But there won’t be a dramatic or immediate economic hit, because those goods represent just 0.2% of our exports to the United States.
Nevertheless, as Lisa Toohey explains, the fact that US President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on friend and foe alike reflects a more fundamental challenge for Australia’s small, open economy. Our trade strategy now needs to navigate an era of rising protectionism.
While the tariff decision was widely expected, it was nonetheless met with an unusually strong response from the prime minister. “This is not a friendly act,” Anthony Albanese declared. As Michelle Grattan writes, it’s hard to think of a time when an Australian government used such strong language about the United States.
Albanese will continue to push the Americans for a carve-out. But in the meantime, and with a federal election looming, the question of how to handle the Trump White House is a test for both Labor and the Coalition.
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Victoria Thieberger
Economics Editor
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Lisa Toohey, UNSW Sydney
The tariffs pose a fundamental challenge to Australia’s trade strategy in a protectionist world.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Albanese didn’t mince words in responding to Trump’s refusal to grant an exemption from the new tariffs. Does it signal a change in how Australians view America?
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Denis Muller, The University of Melbourne
Journalists have protested their media outlets’ decisions to run the Trumpet of Patriots ads. They were right to do so.
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Mark Kenny, Australian National University
The federal election hasn’t even been called, yet efforts are already underway to sideline the Teals if voters return a hung parliament.
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Peter Whiteford, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Research shows a possible return to society of $1.24 for every dollar invested in increasing the JobSeeker rate.
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Samantha Schulz, University of Adelaide
Researchers have been reporting a disturbing rise in sexist, misogynist behaviour from school students. But what is happening in Australian universities?
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Karinna Saxby, The University of Melbourne; Dennis Petrie, Monash University; Glenda Bishop, The University of Melbourne; Sara Hutchinson Tovar, Monash University; Zoe Aitken, The University of Melbourne
The mental health of trans, nonbinary and gender-diverse Australians is suffering and getting worse.
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Alexander Plum, Auckland University of Technology; Linda Kirkpatrick, Auckland University of Technology
The trans and non-binary community may be increasingly visible in New Zealand, but their economic outcomes are still very different to the wider population.
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Pascal Scherrer, Southern Cross University; Isabelle Wolf, University of Wollongong; Jen Smart, University of Wollongong
While many opt for deluxe alternatives to a backpack and tent, they can also stop independent hikers with smaller budgets from accessing national parks.
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Iris de Ruiter, University of Sydney
Recently, astronomers have been puzzled by an unknown type of cosmic radio signal. A new breakthrough has finally traced one of them.
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Jennifer Lavers (Métis Nation ᓲᐊᐧᐦᑫᔨᐤ), Charles Sturt University; Alix de Jersey, University of Tasmania; Jack Rivers Auty, University of Tasmania
A bird might look and act outwardly healthy – but on the inside, ingested plastics are slowly wreaking havoc.
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John McMullan, Murdoch University; Glen Stasiuk, Murdoch University
In one example, an AI image generator produced an image of what was meant to be an elderly First Nations man – in a traditional Papuan headdress.
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Kevin John Brophy, The University of Melbourne
Mandy Beaumont’s new novel, The Thrill of It, takes us inside a killer’s mind.
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The government has failed to secure an exemption on steel and aluminium from the new Trump administration.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
We are joined by the co-founder of the Community Independents Project, Tina Jackson - a key figure behind Zali Steggall's successful campaign against Tony Abbott in 2019
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Dylan Hicks, Flinders University
In skill acquisition, many coaches and athletes believe there is one optimal technique to copy. But this approach ignores a crucial reality.
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Health + Medicine
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Hunter Bennett, University of South Australia; Ben Singh, University of South Australia
Ice baths are an effective way to accelerate recovery after exercise. However, their general health benefits are less clear.
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Raquel Peel, University of Notre Dame Australia
Friendships are often the first relationships we form outside of family. But how can we deal with conflict in these relationships in a grown-up way?
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Science + Technology
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Tim Davies, University of Canterbury
A million tourists visit Milford Sound every year, including on cruise ships. What is the level of risk from natural disaster New Zealand is prepared to accept?
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Hayley Stannard, Charles Sturt University; Julie Old, Western Sydney University
Kultarrs might look cute. But these carnivorous marsupials are fierce and feisty predators.
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Environment + Energy
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Alex Maisey, La Trobe University; Andrew Bennett, La Trobe University; Angie Haslem, La Trobe University
“Farming” behaviour is very unusual in the non-human world. As lyrebirds forage, they cultivate the soil and shore up their own food sources.
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Education
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Deborah Green, University of South Australia; Barbara Spears, University of South Australia
Bullying is one of the top concerns Australian parents have about their children’s health. Unfortunately, it is something about 1 in 4 students experience.
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Arts + Culture
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Sarah Austin, The University of Melbourne
Through the vehicle of a family drama, Melbourne Theatre Company’s play emphasises the value of embodied knowledge – and how this can never be replaced by AI.
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