A leading US lawmaker has reassured bipartisan support for the AUKUS partnership in a "powerful signal to naysayers," less than two weeks out from Donald Trump's inauguration.
Under the agreement, Australia has been promised at least three Virginia-class submarines from the US in the early 2030s, with a new class of nuclear-powered boats to be built for delivery from the 2040s.
As the US submarine industrial base comes under increasing pressure, concerns have been raised about whether Australia's ally has boats to spare.
The president-elect has also flagged potential military and economic action against allies, including for plans to acquire Greenland and the Panama canal.
Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, said the passage of the National Defence Authorisation Act through congress last December, demonstrated strong support for the trilateral partnership.
"In the same year congress was marred with record low productivity and high levels of division, the AUKUS mission still saw real momentum among lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle," he wrote in an opinion piece for The Australian.
"That level of bipartisan, bicameral support in a challenging political environment sends a powerful signal to naysayers and sceptics that the AUKUS mission has a strong foundation of support ready to withstand the political winds the New Year will bring."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was confident Mr Trump could be convinced against imposing tariffs on the nation's exports due to the trade surplus the US has with Australia.
He pointed to AUKUS as an area of co-operation with the US.
"That (tariffs) would actually disadvantage the United States," Mr Albanese told 96FM Perth radio on Friday.
"I had a constructive first discussion with Donald Trump and I'm confident that we'll continue to act in both our countries' interests."
