As anticipated, Australia is now signed on as a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo put pen to paper this morning in Chile, locking Australia and ten other countries into the deal.

With the new trade agreement has been signed, the question as to whether Australia will be hit US President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariff remains unanswered.

“I know the government is doing absolutely everything it can to land this with the Americans,” says James Pearson, CEO of Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He tells Ben Fordham, “I think we’re entitled to be cautiously optimistic”.

“Our trade experts are going through the details of it now that it’s been released.”

Listen to the full interview below