Prime Minister Albanese Urges a Return to "Team Australia"
As the boycott of American products spreads in Canada and the European Union (EU), the Australian government has also begun encouraging the purchase of Australian-made products.
On the 13th (local time), according to local media such as ABC and SBS, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated in a morning radio interview that he would urge Australian citizens to "consider buying Australian-made products."
He emphasized, "That is the only way consumers can help create jobs here and support our local industries." He also announced that additional support for the Buy Australian campaign would be included in the Australian federal government budget to be released on the 25th.
The aim is to support businesses by enabling more Australian companies to secure federal government procurement contracts. The Australian federal government's procurement contracts amounted to a total of 100 billion AUD (approximately 145 trillion KRW) in the last fiscal year.
Prime Minister Albanese said, "Australians can make an impact by purchasing Australian-made goods," adding, "Buy Bundy (Australia's famous rum brand) instead of American products. You can make a difference." He continued, "What we need to do at times like this is for everyone to return to 'Team Australia.'"
The Labor government led by him has been making every effort to secure exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs in the United States, but the Trump administration began imposing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum on all trading partners without exceptions starting yesterday. In response, the Australian government expressed disappointment but ruled out retaliatory measures such as imposing counter-tariffs, stating that such actions would only cause inflation in Australia.
Earlier, Canada and the EU have seen movements to boycott American products and promote domestic goods. Justin Trudeau, former Canadian Prime Minister who stepped down on the 9th, urged Canadians last month to buy domestic products instead of American ones and to spend their summer vacations within Canada rather than in the United States.
As a result, in Canada, stores increasingly remove American products such as alcoholic beverages and prominently display Canadian-made products, and apps that help identify Canadian products are gaining popularity. Some cafes have even renamed Americano coffee to "Canadiano."
In Europe, for example, in Sweden, a Facebook group run by an organization that informs consumers about alternatives to American products has surpassed 70,000 members, and Denmark's largest grocery company, Salling Group, has started encouraging consumption by attaching tags with black stars only on European products displayed in stores.
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