Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, EU, EU, EU

By Jokin de Carlos Sola


When asking who has been America’s greatest ally, the answer is usually the United Kingdom or Canada, when in reality it would be Australia, which has joined them in all military campaigns, including Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, and just like all historical alliances, Donald Trump is on the verge of blowing it up. Similar to Canada, Australia is a country that greatly depends on exports, namely mineral resources. In recent decades, it has also balanced its relationship with the U.S. and China, risking an increased presence of intelligence agencies in their territory. Trump’s trade policy, however, seems to be antagonising the Camberra.

Similar to Canada, Australia is led by a left-leaning Government of Labour Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Albo for the mates), who faces an election soon and that, until recently, was expected to lose against the Liberal-National Coalition of Peter Dutton. However, recent trade policies have antagonised America in Australia. Now, it's likely that Albo will remain Prime Minister. 

Unlike Canada´s, Australia´s relationship with the EU has been more distant. The reason for this is geographical. Australia sits in the Asia-Pacific and has less direct cultural connections with Continental Europe. Not only that, but in recent years, Australia has prioritised its relationship with Washington. For instance, the Australian government cancelled a deal with the French to build nuclear submarines in favour of an American deal. On top of that, Australian farmers have always been frustrated with the lack of interest in the EU to open its food market to Australian products. This was one of the reasons why Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said that the failed EU-Australia trade agreement was ‘Not good enough’ in 2023.

The fallout of Albanese with Trump, while not as pronounced as that of Carney, will still affect the Oceanian country. Historically, Labour governments have always prioritised trade diversification. However, the visit of Paul Wojciechowski, First Secretary of the Australian Delegation to the EU, in March 2025 shows interest. China has already agreed to collaborate with South Korea and Japan, so a closer collaboration with Australia could be in the works. The EU has the potential to establish good and fruitful trade relations with Australia and expand its influence in the Asia Pacific while at it. But to get there, concessions will have to be made.

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