The administration of US President Donald Trump has included one of the most remote and uninhabited territories on Earth — Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands — in its latest round of trade tariffs, a move that has baffled economists and drawn concern from Australian officials.
The decision, which forms part of a broader shift in US trade policy under Trump’s second term, imposes a 10% tariff on goods from the islands, which are located in the sub-Antarctic and are entirely uninhabited. The islands, formed by volcanic activity and covered by glaciers, are accessible only via a two-week sea voyage from Western Australia. There are no permanent facilities, no residents, and no evidence of sustained trade activity originating from the territory.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed surprise at the move, stating, “Nowhere on earth is safe,” in response to the inclusion of Australia’s external territories in the tariff schedule. The list released by the White House separates several of these territories — including Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands — from mainland Australia, assigning them individual tariff rates.
Norfolk Island, which has a population of just over 2,000 people, was assigned a tariff of 29%, significantly higher than the 10% applied to mainland Australia. George Plant, the island’s administrator, disputed claims that Norfolk Island exported over US$600,000 worth of leather footwear to the US in 2023. “There are no known exports from Norfolk Island to the United States,” he told The Guardian, highlighting inconsistencies in the trade data.
The inclusion of such territories has led to broader questions regarding the selection criteria used by the Trump administration. Notably, countries such as Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus were excluded from the tariff list. A White House official, speaking anonymously to the New York Times, explained that these countries are already subject to extensive sanctions that severely limit trade with the United States.
Given that Heard and McDonald Islands are entirely uninhabited and host no commercial infrastructure, the rationale for their inclusion remains unclear. The islands support only occasional scientific visits and a managed fishery, but no permanent economic activity.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as the Australian Antarctic Division, have yet to issue formal statements on the matter. Meanwhile, the inclusion of some of the most isolated and economically inactive regions on Earth in US trade policy continues to raise questions about what the Hell is the Trump administration doing
Full List Of Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs:
- China: 34% (charges U.S. 67%)
- European Union: 20% (charges U.S. 39%)
- Vietnam: 46% (charges U.S 90%)
- Taiwan: 32% (charges U.S. 64%)
- Japan: 24% (charges U.S. 46%)
- India: 26% (charges U.S. 52%)
- South Korea: 25% (charges U.S. 50%)
- Thailand: 36% (charges U.S. 72%)
- Switzerland: 31% (charges U.S. 61%)
- Indonesia: 32% (charges U.S. 64%)
- Malaysia: 24% (charges U.S. 47%)
- Cambodia: 49% (charges U.S. 97%)
- United Kingdom: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- South Africa: 30% (charges U.S. 60%)
- Brazil: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Bangladesh: 37% (charges U.S. 74%)
- Singapore: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Israel: 17% (charges U.S. 33%)
- Philippines: 17% (charges U.S. 34%)
- Chile: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Australia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Pakistan: 29% (charges U.S. 58%)
- Turkey: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Sri Lanka: 44% (charges U.S. 88%)
- Colombia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Peru: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Nicaragua: 18% (charges U.S. 36%)
- Norway: 15% (charges U.S. 30%)
- Costa Rica: 10% (charges U.S. 17%)
- Jordan: 20% (charges U.S. 40%)
- Dominican Republic: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- United Arab Emirates: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- New Zealand: 10% (charges U.S. 20%)
- Argentina: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Ecuador: 10% (charges U.S. 12%)
- Guatemala: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Honduras: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Madagascar: 47% (charges U.S. 93%)
- Myanmar (Burma): 44% (charges U.S. 88%)
- Tunisia: 28% (charges U.S. 55%)
- Kazakhstan: 27% (charges U.S. 54%)
- Serbia: 37% (charges U.S. 74%)
- Egypt: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Saudi Arabia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- El Salvador: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Côte d’Ivoire: 21% (charges U.S. 41%)
- Laos: 48% (charges U.S. 95%)
- Botswana: 37% (charges U.S. 74%)
- Trinidad and Tobago: 10% (charges U.S. 12%)
- Morocco: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Algeria: 30% (charges U.S. 59%)
- Oman: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Uruguay: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Bahamas: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Lesotho: 50% (charges U.S. 99%)
- Ukraine: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Bahrain: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Qatar: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Mauritius: 40% (charges U.S. 80%)
- Fiji: 32% (charges U.S. 63%)
- Iceland: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Kenya: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Liechtenstein: 37% (charges U.S. 73%)
- Guyana: 38% (charges U.S. 76%)
- Haiti: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: 35% (charges U.S. 70%)
- Nigeria: 14% (charges U.S. 27%)
- Namibia: 21% (charges U.S. 42%)
- Brunei: 24% (charges U.S. 47%)
- Bolivia: 10% (charges U.S. 20%)
- Panama: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Venezuela: 15% (charges U.S. 29%)
- North Macedonia: 33% (charges U.S. 65%)
- Ethiopia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Ghana: 10% (charges U.S. 17%)
- Moldova: 31% (charges U.S. 61%)
- Angola: 32% (charges U.S. 63%)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 11% (charges U.S. 22%)
- Jamaica: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Mozambique: 16% (charges U.S. 31%)
- Paraguay: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Zambia: 17% (charges U.S. 33%)
- Lebanon: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Tanzania: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Iraq: 39% (charges U.S. 78%)
- Georgia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Senegal: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Azerbaijan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Cameroon: 11% (charges U.S. 22%)
- Uganda: 10% (charges U.S. 20%)
- Albania: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Armenia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Nepal: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Sint Maarten: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Falkland Islands: 41% (charges U.S. 82%)
- Gabon: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Kuwait: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Togo: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Suriname: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Belize: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Papua New Guinea: 10% (charges U.S. 15%)
- Malawi: 17% (charges U.S. 34%)
- Liberia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- British Virgin Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Afghanistan: 10% (charges U.S. 49%)
- Zimbabwe: 18% (charges U.S. 35%)
- Benin: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Barbados: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Monaco: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Syria: 41% (charges U.S. 81%)
- Uzbekistan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Republic of the Congo: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Djibouti: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- French Polynesia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Cayman Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Kosovo: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Curaçao: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Vanuatu: 22% (charges U.S. 44%)
- Rwanda: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Sierra Leone: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Mongolia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- San Marino: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Antigua and Barbuda: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Bermuda: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Eswatini: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Marshall Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 50% (charges U.S. 99%)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Turkmenistan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Grenada: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Sudan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Turks and Caicos Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Aruba: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Montenegro: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Saint Helena: 10% (charges U.S. 15%)
- Kyrgyzstan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Yemen: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Niger: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Saint Lucia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Nauru: 30% (charges U.S. 59%)
- Equatorial Guinea: 13% (charges U.S. 25%)
- Iran: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Libya: 31% (charges U.S. 61%)
- Samoa: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Guinea: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Timor-Leste: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Montserrat: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Chad: 13% (charges U.S. 26%)
- Mali: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Maldives: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Tajikistan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Cabo Verde: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Burundi: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Guadeloupe: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Bhutan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Martinique: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Tonga: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Mauritania: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Dominica: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Micronesia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Gambia: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- French Guiana: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Christmas Island: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Andorra: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Central African Republic: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Solomon Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Mayotte: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Anguilla: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Eritrea: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Cook Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- South Sudan: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Comoros: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Kiribati: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- São Tomé and Príncipe: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Norfolk Island: 29% (charges U.S. 58%)
- Gibraltar: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Tuyalu: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- British Indian Ocean Territory: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Tokelau: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Guinea-Bissau: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Heard and McDonald Islands: 10% (charges U.S. 10%)
- Réunion: 37% (charges U.S. 73%)
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