Anthony Albanese has encouraged the public 'buy Australian' in retaliation against Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs. 

The White House revealed on Wednesday that Australia would not be exempt from the 25 per cent tariffs - as it had been during Trump's first term.

The Prime Minister ruled out imposing 'revenge' tariffs on US products because he claimed they were a form of 'economic self-harm' that was ultimately 'paid for by the consumers'.

But he did suggest a way Australians could fight back, and called on them to 'back Team Australia'. 

'One of the things that we can do is to buy Australian. Australians can have an impact by buying Australian goods,' Mr Albanese told ABC Melbourne. 

'You buy Bundy [Bundaberg] soft drinks rather than some of the American products, you can make those decisions and buy Australian, but we will continue to put forward our strong case for an exemption.'

The family-owned Bundaberg Brewed Drinks is one of Australia's most recognisable soft drink brands, exporting to 60 countries across the world. 

'What we need to do at times like this is have everyone back Team Australia,' the Prime Minister said. 

Mr Albanese later told 3AW that his administration was driving an agenda around 'our economic resilience and making more things here in Australia'.

Although Mr Albanese stopped short of calling for a boycott of US goods like those seen in Canada, he did hint that the 'Buy Australian' idea might become official policy in the upcoming budget on March 25.   

'Part of our budget will provide additional support for our Buy Australian campaign,' he told ABC Sydney on Thursday morning. 

'I would urge Australians, if they’re in a local shop, to look to buy Australian – that’s the one way that consumers can assist to create jobs here and support our local industries.'

Mr Albanese's vague reference to US soft drinks in his 'Buy Australian' plea may have been a nod to one Trump's favourite drink Diet Coke.

The US President reportedly drinks up to 12 cans a day and even had a special button installed in the Oval Office during his first-term to order them.

Despite the White House announcement, Mr Albanese had not given up on having Australian products exempted from the tariffs, given the US runs a trade surplus with Australia and the two countries have long-standing close relations.

However he failed to secure a second phone call with Trump to follow up on their 'highly constructive' call last month.

'We will advocate for Australian trade at every level and through every channel. We will continue to work for a different outcome and discussions with the Trump administration are ongoing,' he told reporters on Wednesday. 

Mr Albanese said that steel and aluminium exports represented just '0.2 per cent of all Australian exports'.

'Neither is in the top ten per cent of what Australia sells to the United States,' he said. 

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said if he is elected Prime Minister he would call Trump and 'get a deal done'.

'We'll make sure that we can protect jobs and protect industry because otherwise Australians are the ones who are going to lose out under Mr Albanese's inability to do the right thing and to achieve the outcome that our country needs,' he said.