Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will hold his first summit with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
Albanese arrived in Washington DC late on Sunday night local time (Monday afternoon AEDT) ahead of his meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday morning local time (Tuesday morning AEDT).
What is expected in meeting?
The Trump Administration is reviewing the A$368 billion($239.46 billion) AUKUS treaty , which will see Australia purchase U.S. nuclear-powered submarines in 2032 before building a new submarine class with Britain, Reuters.
Australian officials have expressed confidence that AUKUS will proceed, with Defence Minister Richard Marles last week stating he knew when the review would conclude. "Australia and the United States have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in every major conflict for over a century," Albanese, re-elected in May for a second term, said in a statement on Sunday.
Ahead of Monday's meeting, Australian officials emphasised that Canberra is contributing under AUKUS, adding $2 billion this year to boost production rates at US submarine shipyards and preparing to maintain U.S. Virginia-class submarines at its Indian Ocean naval base from 2027.
The ten-month delay in an official meeting since Trump took office has caused some anxiety in Australia as the Pentagon urged Canberra to lift defence spending.
The centre-left Australian leader is also set to discuss nuclear submarines, trade and Indo Pacific stability with his security ally, his office said. Albanese travelled to Washington with his minister for resources, but not with the foreign and defence ministers.
Can Australia be a solution to China's rare earth curbs
Australia is willing to sell shares in its planned strategic reserve of critical minerals to allies, including Britain, Reuters reported last month, as Western governments seek to reduce their reliance on China for rare earths and minor metals.
Top US officials last week condemned Beijing's expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains.
China is the world’s largest producer of materials vital for products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and military radars. Resource-rich Australia, aiming to extract and process rare earths, offered preferential access to its strategic reserve during U.S. trade negotiations in April.
Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney, said the "mood music is good" for the summit and that "the outstanding bilateral issues are not terribly serious."
"The most important thing is for Albanese to establish a cooperative, professional and hopefully warm relationship with the president," he added.
The United States has a large trade surplus with Australia, which is among the countries with the lowest U.S. tariffs.
Australia’s biggest trade partner is China, with exports of iron ore and coal significantly supporting its national budget, despite efforts by Albanese’s government to diversify export markets following Beijing’s $20 billion boycott of Australian agriculture and coal from 2020 to 2023.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who held talks with Trump's economic adviser Kevin Hassett on critical minerals, told reporters in Washington on Friday that Canberra wanted to do more with the United States while maintaining a stable economic relationship with China. "We know that American companies desperately need critical minerals, and Australia is very well placed to service that need," he said.
Albanese arrived in Washington DC late on Sunday night local time (Monday afternoon AEDT) ahead of his meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday morning local time (Tuesday morning AEDT).
Australia's national interest is at the heart of everything we do.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 20, 2025
I've just touched down in Washington D.C. ahead of meeting with President Trump.
We'll work hard here to create benefits for Australians back home, from regional security to trade and investment. pic.twitter.com/P7SaGAWF93
What is expected in meeting?
The Trump Administration is reviewing the A$368 billion($239.46 billion) AUKUS treaty , which will see Australia purchase U.S. nuclear-powered submarines in 2032 before building a new submarine class with Britain, Reuters.
Australian officials have expressed confidence that AUKUS will proceed, with Defence Minister Richard Marles last week stating he knew when the review would conclude. "Australia and the United States have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in every major conflict for over a century," Albanese, re-elected in May for a second term, said in a statement on Sunday.
Ahead of Monday's meeting, Australian officials emphasised that Canberra is contributing under AUKUS, adding $2 billion this year to boost production rates at US submarine shipyards and preparing to maintain U.S. Virginia-class submarines at its Indian Ocean naval base from 2027.
The ten-month delay in an official meeting since Trump took office has caused some anxiety in Australia as the Pentagon urged Canberra to lift defence spending.
The centre-left Australian leader is also set to discuss nuclear submarines, trade and Indo Pacific stability with his security ally, his office said. Albanese travelled to Washington with his minister for resources, but not with the foreign and defence ministers.
Can Australia be a solution to China's rare earth curbs
Australia is willing to sell shares in its planned strategic reserve of critical minerals to allies, including Britain, Reuters reported last month, as Western governments seek to reduce their reliance on China for rare earths and minor metals.
Top US officials last week condemned Beijing's expansion of rare earth export controls as a threat to global supply chains.
China is the world’s largest producer of materials vital for products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and military radars. Resource-rich Australia, aiming to extract and process rare earths, offered preferential access to its strategic reserve during U.S. trade negotiations in April.
Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney, said the "mood music is good" for the summit and that "the outstanding bilateral issues are not terribly serious."
"The most important thing is for Albanese to establish a cooperative, professional and hopefully warm relationship with the president," he added.
The United States has a large trade surplus with Australia, which is among the countries with the lowest U.S. tariffs.
Australia’s biggest trade partner is China, with exports of iron ore and coal significantly supporting its national budget, despite efforts by Albanese’s government to diversify export markets following Beijing’s $20 billion boycott of Australian agriculture and coal from 2020 to 2023.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who held talks with Trump's economic adviser Kevin Hassett on critical minerals, told reporters in Washington on Friday that Canberra wanted to do more with the United States while maintaining a stable economic relationship with China. "We know that American companies desperately need critical minerals, and Australia is very well placed to service that need," he said.
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