Anthony Albanese has landed in the US for a highly anticipated meeting with President Donald Trump as ministers sound a bullish tone on the fate of a key defence pact.
The prime minister touched down at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington DC on Monday afternoon (AEDT), where he was greeted by Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd.
Mr Albanese will hold his first face-to-face meeting with the US president early on Tuesday morning (AEDT) at the White House.
Tariffs on Australian goods are set to feature highly in discussions, along with a potential deal on critical minerals and the fate of the trilateral AUKUS security pact.
The US Defense Department has been reviewing the more than $300 billion agreement with Australia and the UK to see if it lines up with the Trump administration's "America First" agenda.
Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said there was support within the administration for the trilateral agreement, which would give Australia access to nuclear submarines, despite the uncertainty caused by the review.
"We're very confident that AUKUS will be maintained," he said.
"In the discussions that I've had with congressional representatives, both Republicans and Democrats, their strong commitment to AUKUS is continuing. That goes for the United Kingdom as well.
"We can't expect too much because they've got to complete that review, and that's an ordinary course of their deliberations there, but we're confident that AUKUS will be maintained."
Mr Albanese has spoken with Mr Trump five times ahead of the bilateral talks, but the pair's first in-person encounter was only a brief meeting at a United Nations reception in New York in September.
"I look forward to a positive and constructive meeting with President Trump at the White House," Mr Albanese said in a statement before his departure from Australia.
"Our meeting is an important opportunity to consolidate the Australia-United States relationship."
Federal minister Amanda Rishworth said she didn't want to pre-empt an outcome of the talks with Mr Trump, but they were set to be productive.
"No doubt there'll be a number of opportunities to have discussions about how we deepen our ties as a country," she said.
"We are the closest of allies. We've got such a long history and shared goals around peace and security around the world."
Mr Albanese is expected to make the case for an exemption to tariffs imposed on Australian exports to the US.
While Australian goods have a 10 per cent baseline tariff applied, steel and aluminium products are subject to a 50 per cent tax rate.
Australian officials have been laying the groundwork for a potential critical minerals deal with the US, which could be used as leverage for a tariff exemption.
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said the meeting between the prime minister and the president needed to deliver results for Australia.
"A reduction of steel and aluminium tariffs, from 50 per cent to 25 per cent, must be achieved - matching the outcome secured by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer," he said.
"The steel and aluminium industries support close to 200,000 Australian jobs. The prime minister must get this right for the workers and families who rely on these industries for their livelihoods."
Resources Minister Madeleine King and Industry Minister Tim Ayres will join parts of the prime minister's Washington trip that focus on a potential minerals agreement.
