Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived in Washington, D.C. for a high-stakes meeting with U.S. president Donald Trump, one which the latter has been putting off for months.

Washington County

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived in Washington, D.C. for a formal meeting with US President Donald Trump. The meeting comes at a time when the US is dealing with several international issues, including tensions in the Middle East and strained relations with China and Colombia. A key topic for the talks is the AUKUS submarine agreement, which is currently under review by the Pentagon, and the potential for Australia to guarantee the supply of critical minerals.

Trade issues are also on the agenda, with Australian officials seeking lower tariffs on goods such as aluminium, steel, copper, and pharmaceuticals. Albanese has expressed confidence ahead of the meeting, emphasizing the importance of securing outcomes on AUKUS and critical minerals. The meeting is highly anticipated, with both leaders expected to address a range of strategic and economic concerns.

Albanese arrives in D.C. for long-awaited meeting with Trump

He's travelled a long way for this date. Anthony Albanese has touched down in the United States just over 12 hours out from his formal sit-down with Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The US President has flown into the capital as well. His meeting with Australia's Prime Minister is happening while his attention is diverted to global events elsewhere. The peace deal in the Middle East is looking shaky and there are problems in the United States' relationship with Colombia and, more significantly, China. I have a very good relationship with President Xi of China. We're having disputes on things. They're paying us a lot of money, tremendous amount of money in tariffs and they'd probably like to have it be less and we'll work on that but they have to give us some things too. China has threatened to limit exports of critical minerals when it dominates the market and the rare earths are crucial for technologies like mobile phones but are also used for defence equipment. I want to help China, I'm not looking to hurt China but they have to give us things too. But the timing could work in Australia's favour. It means a deal is likely to be done with our country guaranteeing supply of critical minerals. A bargaining chip as the Prime Minister seeks assurances about the future of the AUKUS submarine deal which is still under review by the Pentagon. We're very confident that AUKUS will be maintained. In the discussions that I've had with congressional representatives, both Republicans and Democrats, there's strong commitment to AUKUS continuing. We need a demonstrated outcome from the Prime Minister's trip to the US that actually says we're serious about AUKUS phase two, there are things that are going to happen. Almost all Australian goods are subject to the Trump administration's lowest tariff rate of 10 per cent but aluminium and steel are higher at 50 per cent and the opposition wants those trade taxes addressed. We also have concerns in relation to the tariffs on copper and pharmaceuticals too. So essentially I'm putting tariffs on pharmaceuticals unless they're made here. So now the Prime Minister is here in Washington DC, it all comes down to tomorrow. He's seemingly confident going in, having prepared and appears relatively relaxed about it. There is obviously an awareness of the unpredictability of an Oval Office meeting and the twists and turns it can take with President Trump which will have to be managed in the moment. The Prime Minister insists he's here to engage specifically on AUKUS and wants to land a deal on critical minerals. After the meeting, the two leaders will have lunch. There are a lot of opinions about what success looks like out of this meeting which makes tomorrow a highly anticipated encounter from the Australian side.

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