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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Karen Middleton

Trump’s tariff threats a ‘clear and present danger’ to Australia, Arthur Sinodinos warns

Donald Trump gestures as he speaks at a rally this week
Some believe Donald Trump’s tariff threats are designed to extract concessions from trading partners after his US election win, but former Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos says they cannot be dismissed as bluff. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s threats of hefty tariffs on imports – especially from China – pose a “clear and present danger” to Australia that must be taken seriously, according to a former Australian ambassador to Washington, Arthur Sinodinos.

Speaking to Guardian Australia’s Australian Politics podcast, the former Liberal senator and adviser to prime minister John Howard, who was ambassador through Trump’s final year in the White House, warned that the US president-elect’s talk of slapping tariffs of 10-20% on foreign goods and as much as 60% on goods from China cannot be dismissed as bluff.

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