A Gentoo penguin colony on the Antarctic coast — Trump’s tariffs bizarrely include remote wildlife habitats like these, despite no trade activity
Credit : Shutterstock, Mozgova
It’s not every day that penguins, military outposts and volcanic islands get dragged into a global trade war — but that’s exactly what’s happened under US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy.
As part of a sweeping list affecting 185 countries and territories, Washington has introduced baseline import taxes of 10 per cent or more, including on places that don’t actually trade with the US — or even have permanent human residents.
Among the more surprising entries are the Heard and McDonald Islands, a frozen cluster of remote Australian territories near Antarctica, and Jan Mayen, a barren volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean owned by Norway. Both are home to penguins, seals, and a handful of researchers — but no real economy.
Norfolk Island hit with 29 per cent US tariff, higher than mainland Australia
While these remote zones might not be shipping containers full of goods to the US any time soon, some inhabited overseas territories also got caught in the crossfire — with little explanation as to why.
Norfolk Island, an external Australian territory with just over 2,000 residents, has been singled out with an eyebrow-raising 29 per cent import tariff, compared to 10 per cent for mainland Australia.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded with confusion, telling the press: “I’m not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the US.”
According to trade figures, Norfolk Island reportedly exported $655,000 (€591,000) worth of goods to the US in 2023, most of it in leather footwear. Yet, local officials say they’re baffled. “We have no known exports to the US,” a spokesperson said. “We’re scratching our heads here.”
US tariffs target remote islands with no trade, just wildlife and research bases
Even more baffling are the tariffs applied to uninhabited or barely populated areas. The Heard and McDonald Islands are so isolated they’re only accessible via a two-week sea voyage from Australia and require special permits to visit due to their fragile ecosystems. Still, they were listed for a 10 per cent tariff — despite having zero exports.
Similarly, Norway’s Jan Mayen Island, staffed only by seasonal scientists and military personnel, was hit with the same 10 per cent tax, as was the nearby Svalbard archipelago, home to around 3,000 people and a small tourism economy.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the move ‘bad news’, noting that the US is Norway’s third-largest export market, receiving around 8 per cent of its goods. Norwegian mainland products were given a 15 per cent tariff.
Other unlikely targets include the British Indian Ocean Territory, which houses only around 3,000 military personnel and contractors at the joint UK-US base in Diego Garcia, and Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean with nearly 900,000 residents — which was hit with a staggering 73 per cent tariff.
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