Australia is ready for the impact of Donald Trump's trade tariffs, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday in a first television debate before the tightly contested May 3 elections.

The US president's "act of economic self-harm" will dampen global growth, 62-year-old Albanese said as he faced right-leaning opposition leader Peter Dutton.

The US tariffs -- including a 10-percent levy on Australia -- present a challenge but "no country is better prepared", the centre-left Labor Party leader told a televised town hall debate in Sydney.

Australia will be able to seize trade opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, Albanese said.

"We'll continue to negotiate, of course, with the United States looking for a better deal for Australia because reciprocal tariffs would, of course, be zero, because........

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