Australia PM Albanese says relationship with Trump off to 'very good' start

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has had a "very good beginning", elaborating on a phone call between the pair after the Republican's U.S. election win.

Albanese this week said he told Trump on the call that the United States has a trade surplus with Australia and it was in Washington's interest to "trade fairly" with its ally.

Under the first Trump presidency, Australia won an exemption from U.S. tariffs for its aluminium and steel exports.

In remarks broadcast on Sky News on Sunday, Albanese described the call as a "very good beginning to our relationship".

It was a "positive phone call that we had. We spoke for 10 minutes, it was one of the first phone calls that he made," the leader of Australia's centre-left Labor government said, according to a transcript.

Albanese's call with Trump also covered security ties including the AUKUS deal, which will see Australia buy U.S. nuclear submarines next decade and develop a new class of nuclear powered submarines with the U.S. and Britain.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said this month that the government was confident of its alliance with the United States, its biggest security partner.

One potential issue for the government is the relationship between the incoming administration and Australia's ambassador in Washington, former Labor Party prime minister Kevin Rudd, who previously made disparaging comments about Trump in his capacity as the head of a U.S.-based think tank.

Albanese, asked if Rudd would stay in the role, said he was doing "a terrific job" and would remain.

"He is Australia's appointment and it says something about the importance of the United States that we have appointed a former prime minister," Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp., according to a transcript on Sunday.

(Reporting by Sam McKeith in SydneyEditing by Nick Zieminski)