Premier Roger Cook says WA exporters ‘match fit’ to deal with US President Donald Trump’s tariffs

WA exporters are “match fit” to deal with the fallout from President Donald Trump’s shock “Liberation Day” tariffs, Premier Roger Cook has declared. Asked if WA’s exposure to China during recent trade embargoes had meant companies were more prepared for the tariffs, Mr Cook said he believed so. “All our exporters in WA are pretty match fit and and battle-hardened when it comes to changing dynamics of our international markets,” he said. “We’ve learned to be nimble and agile when it comes to making sure that we can continue to look to other opportunities and other customers globally, and you can see them doubling down on that activity today.” Speaking alongside Rio Tinto iron ore boss Simon Trott on Thursday, Mr Cook also said WA’s exposure to China meant the impact of Mr Trump’s decision to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Australian exports would not be immediately clear. “A small proportion of (exported) steel that (China) produce is exported to the US … they produce goods which are exported to the US,” he said. “We need to actually see what the long-term indications or impacts of these changes are. “We won’t see changes overnight. You will see consumer behaviour, particularly as American consumers are confronted with much higher inflation as a result of these tariffs, you will see them adapt over time, and that ultimately will have an impact in terms of global markets.” Mr Trott said Rio Tinto was still looking at the impact the decision would have on its operations. “We’re a global business. We operate and partner with businesses and governments right around the world, and we’ll continue to do that,” he said. “We’ll work through the announcements overnight and look for both the challenges and the opportunities that present amongst that and our focus will continue to be on the longer term. “We’ve got a very long-term business. We make investments that may take a decade or more to pay off, and so our eyes will remain on the longer term.” Asked if the decision would have improved Rio’s US operations, Mr Trott said changes in circumstance could enable a quicker uptake in projects.