Liberal Senator Jim Molan says there’s an “awful lot of work to do” following America’s move to slap tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

The Trump Administration intends to impose 25% tariffs on steel and 10% tariffs on aluminium imports, which could slash 20,000 Australian jobs and wipe $5 billion off Australia’s national income.

Senator Molan tells Chris Smith President Donald Trump is “surprising us all”.

“We’re dealing in a new world with President Trump.

“He’s not the standard president of the most powerful country in the world that we’re used to dealing with, and he is surprising us all.”

Senator Molan says Australia doesn’t pose a threat to US trade.

“We’ve certainly conveyed those sentiments to the administration.

Senator Molan admits there’s work to be done to solve the issue.

“That’s why we’ve got a foreign minister and that’s why we’ve got a trade minister. They’ve got an awful lot of work to do and they’ll do it.”

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