<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/21/us-consumer-tech-joins-winemakers-film-studios-and-drug-companies-in-urging-trump-to-target-australia>
"The US consumer technology industry has Australia in its sights after it
encouraged Donald Trump to retaliate against “harmful” foreign tax rules it
claims is hampering innovation and trade in the US.
Peak body the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is the latest US group to
point the finger at Australia as part of a review that will inform Trump’s
looming wave of retaliatory tariffs.
US-based winemakers, tech giants and drug companies have also lodged
complaints, raising the prospect of mass sanctions on Australian goods and
services in a major escalation of Trump’s trade war.
In its submission, CTA – which represents 1,200 companies across the US tech
industry including Sony, Microsoft, Dell, Adobe, Samsung, Alibaba and Accenture
– applauded Trump’s intention to combat “digital services taxes” (DSTs) imposed
by other countries.
Among the examples listed was the GST applied to the sale of imported services
and digital products to Australian consumers.
“(DSTs) unfairly burdens consumer technology companies, hinders digital trade,
and disrupts the free flow of services across borders,” the submission read.
“This decision by other countries hampers innovation and unfairly targets US
companies.”
The grievances come as the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (Amcham)
said it was “confounded” Australia had officially been lumped alongside
countries with trade deficits with the US despite the decades-long trade
surplus between Canberra and Washington.
Australia has imported more goods from the US than it has exported every year
since 1952, unlike countries like China and Mexico with whom the US has
maintained large trade deficits."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
