Anna Hartz
Even Uninhabited Islands Aren’t Safe from Trump’s Trade War
Trade wars usually target major economies, but this time, even uninhabited islands covered in ice and home to penguins are caught in the crossfire.
The latest tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump include places with no people, no economy, and even some locations strategically important to the US, according to Hotnews.
One of the most surprising places on the list is Heard and McDonald Islands. This remote group of volcanic islands near Antarctica is covered in glaciers and has no permanent population.
The only visitors are occasional researchers or adventurous explorers, and the last recorded human visit was nearly a decade ago.
The islands can only be reached by a two-week boat trip from Perth, Australia. Despite this, the White House has imposed a 10% tariff on their goods.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded with disbelief. “No place on Earth is safe,” he remarked.
According to CNN, the CIA World Factbook describes Heard Island as “gloomy” and “80% covered in ice.” The McDonald Islands are labeled “small” and “rocky.”
Economic activity there ended in 1877 when the elephant seal oil trade shut down. Now, these frozen islands are part of Trump’s trade policies.
Other remote territories are also affected. The Cocos Islands, an Australian territory with about 600 residents, now faces a 10% tariff.
Ships make up 32% of its exports, and most go to the US. On the other side of the world, Jan Mayen, a Norwegian island with no permanent residents, is also hit with a 10% tax.
It has no economy—just a rotating group of military personnel.
Some small nations and territories with fragile economies will feel the impact. Tokelau, a New Zealand territory with only 1,600 people, exports about $100,000 worth of goods annually.
Now, those goods face a 10% tariff. Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French archipelago near Canada, exports mostly shellfish and mollusks.
These will now be taxed at 50%, a higher rate than the one imposed on France itself.
Lesotho, a small African nation, will also be hit hard. About 20% of its exports, including diamonds, textiles, and electrical equipment, go to the US. These will now be taxed at 50%.
The new tariffs even affect strategic locations for the US military. The British Indian Ocean Territory, home to the Diego Garcia air base, will face a 10% tariff, even though it is mainly populated by American and British military personnel.
The same applies to the Marshall Islands, a crucial site for US missile testing.
The US has an agreement to provide defense for the Marshall Islands, but now any exports to America will be taxed.
As strange as it may seem, these remote and often uninhabited places are now part of a global trade dispute.
Penguins, military bases, and tiny island nations are all getting caught in the economic battle.
