Trump fears downplayed with Australia in US box seat

Australians have been told they can trust the United States despite risks from a Donald Trump presidency amid concerns about trade tariffs and Pacific disengagement.

Mr Trump has flagged tariffs on imports of between 10 and 20 per cent, and up to 60 per cent on China, raising concerns in Australia about the impact on domestic and global economies.

US ambassador Caroline Kennedy worked to reassure Canberra that free trade arrangements, special categories for some Australian companies in America and rising investment meant Australia was well-positioned in Washington.

The outgoing ambassador noted Australia wasn’t subject to tariffs imposed by the previous Trump administration after Canberra lobbied the White House for an exemption from steel and aluminium levies.

A lot of things were said on campaign trails but looking at the positives in the bilateral relationship, “I think Australia has a very privileged position,” she told the National Press Club on Monday.

“That’s because we work so closely together across the board.”

Ms Kennedy addressed concerns American presence would wane from the Pacific with China under a more protectionist Trump presidency amid a diplomatic tussle for influence.

“The United States is a Pacific nation and what happens in this region is of vital national security, economic security, energy security to us,” she said.

America remained committed to the AUKUS partnership under which it will sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines and reveal coveted technology and it was “already having a huge impact on deterrence” in the region, Ms Kennedy said.

The ambassador defended the intelligence-sharing relationship after accusations from Democrats that Mr Trump’s pick for national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard was an asset to Russia as she had peddled Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories.

“There are thousands of people who work in our intelligence agencies and work closely with Australia and we have no more trusted or capable ally and that’s going to continue,” Ms Kennedy said.

She was less than enthused about her cousin Robert Kennedy Jr being tapped on the shoulder by Mr Trump to be health secretary despite his vaccine scepticism.

“Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous but I don’t think that most Americans share them,” she said.

While Mr Trump’s appointments were “making waves and headlines”, they still needed to be confirmed by the Senate.

“So let’s just calm down and wait and see what happens,” she said.