Australia vows to fight against U.S. film tariffs after Labor wins

Australia's re-elected Labor Party government will make the case that U.S. tariffs on foreign-made films are "unjustified," a senior minister has said.

Amanda Rishworth, the minister for social services, said on Tuesday that the government's "whole team," including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, would present a "very strong case" to the United States against the new tariffs following Labor's landslide victory in Saturday's election for the 48th parliament.

"These are just unjustified tariffs," said Rishworth, who was a member of Albanese's cabinet in the 47th parliament but whose role in the 48th has not yet been announced, in an interview with Nine Network television.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the United States on Monday.

Addressing reporters in Canberra on Monday, Albanese said he had spoken to Trump following the election and that they had discussed tariffs.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said on Tuesday that the U.S. administration would be made aware of the re-elected government's opposition to the film tariffs.

"We obviously will be pressing views about this to the U.S. administration," said Wong, who is set to continue in the foreign affairs portfolio, in an interview with Nine.

In a separate interview on Tuesday morning, Wong told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that restarting talks with the European Union on a free trade deal would be an "important part" of Australia's trade diversification.

"If we're a trading nation, we don't want to be part of trade barriers, because it's not good for us. It's an act of economic self-harm, so of course, we'll engage with the EU and others," she said.

Negotiations on the trade agreement with the EU collapsed in 2023 when both sides failed to reach an agreement on Australian agricultural exporters' access to the European market.

Labor said in April that it would reopen talks with the EU if victorious at the election.

News Corp Australia newspapers reported on Tuesday that Albanese is prepared to abolish Australia's tax on luxury car imports from the EU in return for better access for agricultural exports.