Overview

• Anthony Albanese departs Sunday for Washington for his first formal bilateral with President Donald Trump after more than 270 days without an in‑person meeting.
• The Pentagon’s review of the AUKUS submarine plan has injected uncertainty into Australia’s path to acquiring nuclear‑powered boats and its long‑term defense strategy.
• Most Australian goods face a 10% US tariff, with 50% on steel and aluminium and reported 100% on some pharmaceuticals, and experts caution a carve‑out is unlikely.
• Resources Minister Madeleine King and Industry Minister Tim Ayres will join parts of the visit as Australia promotes critical‑minerals cooperation to strengthen leverage.
• Opposition figures demand concrete results on AUKUS, tariffs and the Quad, as past Oval Office encounters with Trump show the potential for highly public confrontations.