AUSTRALIA – FOREIGN RELATIONS – UNITED STATES

US can have Downer but not the cables: Morrison

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 3-Oct-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison say the federal government will co-operate with any request from the US to interview Alexander Downer as part of an investigation into the Mueller probe into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election campaign. Downer was Australia’s high commissioner to the UK in 2016, when he was told by a former Trump adviser that Russia had access to emails that could damage rival presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. However, Morrison has ruled out giving the US access to classified diplomatic cables associated with the meeting.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

PM push to wind back China’s trade benefits

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Sep-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an overhaul of the global trading system in response to the economic rise of China. He said China should now be recognised as a newly-developed economy and it should no longer be entitled to concessions under World Trade Organization rules for developing nations. Speaking in Chicago during his official visit to the US, Morrison stressed that global trade rules are outdated and are no longer "fit for purpose", particularly with regard to digital trade. He also emphasised the importance of Australia’s alliance with the US, and said Australia will never take it for granted.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, CHICAGO INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED NATIONS. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Solitude warning for Australia

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Original article by Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Sep-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated that his visit to Washington will lay the foundation for another century of friendship between Australia and the US. However, Chinese academic Yu Lei has stated in ‘The Global Times’ that Australia risks straining its relationship with Asian nations if it boosts military ties with the US, and that this could leave it in solitude. US President Donald Trump stated during Morrison’s visit that the trade war with China could run until the presidential election in November 2020, while he stated during a joint news conference with Morrison that China represents a "threat to the world".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

US-China trade war to rage for decades

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal, Rosie Lewis, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 9-Aug-19

The Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet’s secretary Martin Parkinson says the US-China trade war is unlikely to be resolved in the near-term, and it could last for decades. He has also used an Asia Society briefing to note that the trade tensions have already undermined confidence in the rules-based trade system. Meanwhile, Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says that handling the trade war requires a delicate balancing act, given that the US is Australia’s biggest ally and China is the nation’s largest trading partner.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, JOHN CURTIN RESEARCH CENTRE

Ignore Trump tweetfest, says US envoy

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Original article by Lisa Murray, Angus Grigg, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 5-Dec-18

James Carouso, the acting US ambassador to Australia, has told a national security summit that relations between the two countries are still strong, including their military alliance. He added that Australian policymakers should look at the "facts on the ground" rather than unduly focusing on President Donald Trump’s tweets regarding alliances with countries such as Australia. Carouso also emphasised that the US remains committed to retaining a presence in the Asia-Pacific, noting that bilateral trade with the region has increased by 10 per cent under Trump.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, LA TROBE UNIVERSITY, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Labor, unions urge PM to fight tariffs

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Original article by Primrose Riordan, Joe Kelly, Andrew Burrell, Ben Packham, Cameron Stewart
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Mar-18

Federal Government ministers have begun lobbying their US counterparts in a bid to exempt local companies from the Trump administration’s new tariff regime for steel and aluminium imports. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen notes that Australia’s steel and aluminium exports to the US are worth $A240m and $A70m respectively. Daniel Walton, the national secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, has warned of significant job losses in the local steel and aluminium sectors due to the tariff hikes, as well as the potential for the Australian market to be flooded with more low-cost steel from China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF COMMERCE, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL

Lynas sees rare chance in trade row

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 6-Mar-18

Lynas Corporation has posted a 2017-18 interim profit of $A63m, compared with a $A19.3m loss for the previous corresponding period. Revenue was up 75 per cent at $A200.9m, while the rare earths miner reduced its debt to $US256.5m. CEO Amanda Lacaze says the Federal Government’s proposed collaboration with the US on the development of rare earths is positive for the local industry, adding that Lynas has contacted the office of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull regarding the issue.

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

‘There’s a lot of money in the room’

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 26-Feb-18

Seven Network owner Kerry Stokes says US President Donald Trump is more engaging than he had expected. Stokes is one of a number of Australian executives to have accompanied Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his visit to the US, and whom Turnbull introduced to Trump. QIC CEO Damien Frawley said the White House was clearly a lot more organised than it has been portrayed in the media, while Business Council of Australia president Grant King said it was clear that Trump is "getting some things done".

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, QIC LIMITED, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PRATT INDUSTRIES PTY LTD

PM takes CEOs on Trump mateship trip

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Feb-18

Executives from a number of leading Australian companies and organisations will accompany Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his upcoming visit to the US. Seek, Wesfarmers and IFM Investors will be among the entities represented. Billionaire Anthony Pratt notes that there is over $A1 trillion worth of investment between Australia and the US, and that the US is both Australia’s most significant ally and its major investment partner. A number of state premiers will also be joining Turnbull.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES), REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES), GLENCORE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

‘Alliance locks us in if US goes to war’

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Aug-17

Andrew Shearer says Australia should endeavour to become less economically reliant on China, so as not to allow China to potentially weaken the alliance with the US through economic pressure. Shearer, who was a national security adviser to the Howard and Abbott governments, also says the terms of the ANZUS alliance require it to support the US in the event of any regional conflict. His comments come as the North Korean missile crisis shows no signs of coming to an end.

CORPORATES
ANZUS TREATY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT