Anthony Albanese will seek a phone call with Donald Trump on US tariff negotiations should he be re-elected as prime minister after Saturday's election.
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The US president has confirmed he's aware the federal government has been trying to get in touch to reach a trade deal, after Australia was slapped with 10 per cent tariffs on goods exports to America.
"They are calling and I will be talking to (Mr Albanese), yes," Mr Trump told reporters at the White House overnight.
The prime minister said Mr Trump's remark was a "throwaway comment" but indicated he would aim for a phone conversation, depending on the outcome of the federal vote.
"I'm not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment, I'm in an election campaign," he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
"I'm sure if we are successful we will have a discussion after Saturday."
"We have a relationship. We've already had a couple of phone calls, but I assure you that my campaign is front and centre."
Mr Albanese said while a phone call with Mr Trump was not a guarantee, a conversation with world leaders such as the US president was likely after the election, should he win a second term.
At the final leaders' debate of the campaign on Sunday, Mr Albanese said he wasn't sure if the US president had a mobile when asked if he had his number, before adding that such matters were usually conducted on a more official basis.
Liberal senator Michaelia Cash said the fact that Mr Albanese hadn't been able to get another one-on-one call with Mr Trump showed there was no relationship with the Australian ally under Labor.
"The previous coalition government - which, because of the nature of the relationship that we had - we were successful in getting the exemption from the steel and aluminium tariffs (under the previous Trump administration).
"So after this election we look forward - if we are elected - to speaking with our greatest ally, the United States of America."
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said while Australia wasn't the only country affected by US tariffs the government was "uniquely well placed" to argue its case for their removal.
"We've made it clear we're engaging wherever we can, whenever we can - obviously, that happens at the highest levels as well," he told ABC radio.
"We think that those tariffs are unwarranted, we think they're unwise.
"Treasury modelling ... makes it clear we are concerned about the impact on global demand and global growth."
The president's comments were being viewed in a positive light, Labor minister Murray Watt said.
"We have to take him at his word on that and we look forward to being able to continue the engagement we've had with the American administration about the tariffs that we think are totally unjustified," he told Nine's Today show on Wednesday.
Senator Watt confirmed that Australia's approaches were being conducted at various levels, including the ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd and department officials, given the Labor government was in caretaker mode ahead of Saturday's election.
The US has also slapped a 25 per cent tariff on Australian steel and aluminium exports to the US.
The goods tariff took effect on April 5 while the steel and aluminium tariff began on March 12.
Australian Associated Press
