In a bizarre twist in Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war, the United States has imposed a 10% tariff on goods from Heard Island and McDonald Islands, an isolated, uninhabited Australian territory near Antarctica. The move, part of Trump’s broader tariff scheme, has triggered outrage in Australia, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling the decision illogical and warning that “nowhere on Earth is safe.”
The islands, which are home to penguins, seals, and seabirds, have no permanent human population, no infrastructure, and no known exports to the United States. Despite this, they were included in a list released by the White House of regions affected by new US trade tariffs.
Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are among the most remote places on the planet, covered in glaciers and volcanic landscapes, and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to their pristine ecosystem. The islands are only accessible via a gruelling two-week boat journey from Perth, Western Australia, and no humans have reportedly set foot on them in nearly a decade.
The Australian Antarctic Program states that it takes 10 days to travel from Western Australia to the islands, weather permitting. The islands serve as an untouched habitat for wildlife, including penguins, elephant seals, and seabirds.
Despite this, the islands appeared on the Trump administration’s tariff list alongside Australia’s external territories, including the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, and Norfolk Island. Norfolk Island, a small territory with a population of just 2,188 people, was hit with an even steeper 29% tariff—a move that further perplexed officials.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, strongly condemned the tariffs, calling them “totally unwarranted” and accusing the Trump administration of treating its key ally unfairly.
"Norfolk Island has got a 29% tariff. I’m not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States," Albanese said. "But that just shows and exemplifies the fact that nowhere on Earth is safe from this."
Despite his criticism, Albanese ruled out imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States, stating: "We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth. This is not the act of a friend."
The inclusion of Heard and McDonald Islands on the US tariff list has confounded experts, as the islands are barren and uninhabited, with no known trade activity.
Professor Mike Coffin from the University of Tasmania, who has visited the surrounding waters seven times for scientific research, dismissed the idea of significant trade between the islands and the US.
"There’s nothing there," he told the BBC. According to Coffin, the only known commercial activity around the islands involves two Australian companies that fish for Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish.
The absurdity of the Trump administration’s decision has led to a wave of memes and jokes on social media, with users poking fun at the idea of penguins being affected by trade tariffs.
One user posted a video of penguins waddling away from Heard Island, captioned: "Is THIS what you voted for?"
Another viral image showed a group of angry penguins protesting against the tariffs, holding placards that read: “No Tariffs.”
Others joked that penguins had arrived at the White House to hold an emergency meeting with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance. A doctored image even showed a penguin sitting across from Trump in the Oval Office, allegedly negotiating trade policies.
See some more reactions here:
While the actual economic impact of the tariffs on Heard and McDonald Islands remains uncertain, the decision has added strain to US-Australia relations.
A handful of other remote territories, including the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the Falkland Islands, were also targeted by the new tariffs.
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