As unlikely as it may seem, even uninhabited islands and covered by glaciers were hit by the new wave of tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump. The new tariff policy has included virtually isolated regions of the planet, considered tariff “threats” although they do not have formal exports, active trade with the US or even population.
Among the targets is the Australian territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, a volcanic archipelago near Antarctica, without inhabitants and with access only by a two -week boat trip from Perth. Still, the site has entered the White House list as a “country” subject to 10% tariff about exports to the US.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacted ironically: “Norfolk Island received a 29%rate. I’m not sure that Norfolk Island, with all due respect, is a commercial competitor of the gigantic US economy. But this only shows that nowhere on the planet if it is safe.”
The list also brought surprises such as Norfolk Island, another Australian external territory with just over 2,000 inhabitants. The island received a 29% rate, well above 10% applied to the remaining Australia.
According to official data, in 2023 Norfolk exported $ 655,000 to the US, mostly leather shoes. But the island administrator, George Plant, has contested these numbers: “There are no records of Norfolk Island exports to the United States, nor tariffs or commercial barriers applicable to products from the island,” he told the Guardian.
Even more unusual is the case of Heard Island. Despite having no infrastructure or fixed population, World Bank data indicates that the US imported $ 1.4 million in products there in 2022 – especially in the category of “machines and electronics”. The real origin and destination of these goods are not known.
Continues after advertising
(com The Guardian e Wall Street Journal)
