A file picture of a King Penguin colony. - AFP
SYDNEY: The Australian external territories of Heard and McDonald Islands – which boast colonies of penguins but no humans – are among the places targeted by sweeping US tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.
The sub-Antarctic island group was not the only odd inclusion in the White House's list of countries to be hit by new "reciprocal tariffs", reported German news agency dpa.
The fellow Australian external territory of Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, with a population of just over 2,000 people, was to be hit by a 29% "discounted reciprocal tariff" – 19% more than the rest of Australia.
"I'm not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States, but that just shows and exemplifies the fact that nowhere on Earth is exempt from this," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Asked about the tariffs on Norfolk, Heard and McDonald Islands, the White House told Politico that they were listed because they are Australian territories, the online political publication reported.
Australia's external territory of Christmas Island was also listed, as was the British Indian Ocean Territory – an archipelago of 58 islands administered by London which is uninhabited aside from the island of Diego Garcia – used as a joint US-British base.
Other remote territories listed included Tokelau in the South Pacific, a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean with about 1,500 inhabitants, and the Norwegian overseas territories of Svalbard (population 2,500) and Jan Mayen (with no permanent population but with 18 personnel living there in the winter), in the Arctic Circle.
From Saturday, the US is set to impose a flat tariff of 10% on imports from most countries.
In addition, the US government announced a complex mechanism that would see higher tariffs apply from April 9 on a number of countries based on factors including trade deficits, subsidies and currency manipulation. – Bernama/DPA
Save 30% for ads-free and full access now!
