Trump also imposes import tariff on... uninhabited island

The Heard and McDonald Islands, Australian territories near Antarctica, are being subjected to a 10% tariff by Donald Trump. Quite remarkable, as the islands have no human inhabitants.

The remote and uninhabited island group can only be reached after a two-week boat trip and, as far as is known, no human has set foot on the islands in the past ten years. Nonetheless, the islands are listed by the White House among “countries” subject to tariffs, along with other Australian external territories such as Norfolk Island or Christmas Island, which are affected by a tariff of 29%.

"Nowhere on earth is safe", joked the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the decision to impose an import tariff on the island group as well.

According to data from the World Bank, the Heard and McDonald Islands reportedly exported $1.4 million worth of "machinery and electrical goods" to the US in 2022, even though the islands have no buildings or residents. The origin of these data is unknown, writes The Guardian.

(PP with HL - Source: Guardian, Forbes - Picture: © picture alliance / imageBROKER | Inger Vandyke / VWPics)