President Donald Trump singled out Australian beef in a long list of complaints about America's trading partners, ahead of announcing 10 per cent tariffs on all Australian goods sent to the US.
This and other global levies will take effect from midnight US time (later Thursday AEDT) after he laid out his "Liberation Day" plan at the White House.
While the tariffs on Australian goods weren't unexpected, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said they were "totally unwarranted".
"The administration's tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nations' partnership," he told reporters in Melbourne.
"This is not the act of a friend."
The US tariffs vary depending on country and while most were around 25 per cent, Australia's rate is on the 10 per cent baseline.
"No one has got a better deal ... that doesn't mean it's a good thing," Mr Albanese said.
Mr Trump has also slapped 10 per cent tariffs on the Heard and McDonald Islands, a barren and uninhabited Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean.
But Norfolk Island, another Australian territory in the Pacific Ocean, has been slugged with a 29 per cent tariff.
While Australia has ruled out reciprocal tariffs, Mr Albanese also gave assurances it won't just bend to the US.
Neither will the government Americanise its health system, undermine its media bargaining code or weaken its biosecurity measures - which impose trade barriers on US beef and other American produce to prevent disease or contamination.
Instead, Australia will strengthen its anti-dumping regime to protect domestic steel, aluminium and manufacturing to combat unfair competition.
Labor will also provide $50 million to affected sectors, particularly bodies like the National Farmers' Federation.
Australia has already earmarked $20 million for its "buy Australian" campaign, which encourages consumers to buy locally, and the government will prioritise local businesses for procurement and contracts.
Meanwhile, Australia's trade relationships will be diversified. The government recently signed a new trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates and continues to pursue an agreement with the European Union.
Australia's biggest exports to the US are financial services, gold, sheep and goat meat, transportation services and vaccines, as well as beef.
"Australians ... they're wonderful people, wonderful everything, but they ban American beef," Mr Trump said at the White House.
"Yet we imported $US3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.Â
"They won't take any of our beef, they don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers."
Beef farmer Phillip Rattray had been anticipating higher returns on his products, but the decision made halfway across the world could change his fortunes.
Mr Rattray's farm in northeast Tasmania is three times larger than the next beef producer, and he offloads about 4000 cattle to multinational beef processor JBS Swift every year to export overseas.
After stock shortages from Queensland flooding, he had been expecting a 50c/kg increase, equivalent to an extra $150 for a 300kg animal.
"We were looking at a bright future ... as the (beef) prices going into America are very high at the moment but ... these tariffs ... will reduce the price," Mr Rattray told AAP.
The farmer warns tariffs won't just hurt Aussie farmers but also American consumers who purchase massive amounts of brining beef and smallgoods.
Australian Meat Industry Council chief executive Tim Ryan said Australian beef producers play a critical role in feeding American consumers.
Australia exports $3.3 billion of meat and $1.6 billion in pharmaceuticals to the US per year.
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