President Trump's tariffs barely escape the corner of the globe. Even on small, sparsely populated islands that export nothing nearby.
Among the countries and territories listed on paper sheets distributed to reporters at the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday were Australian territory near Antarctica, Australian territory, the islands and the MacDonald's Islands, where many penguins are not inhabited. It also lists the British Indian Ocean territory. This is a collection of islands that are largely unmanned, other than US and British soldiers stationed at the joint military base in Diego Garcia.
Some territories face even higher tariffs than governing countries. Norfolk Island, Australia's territory in the South Pacific, faces 29% tariffs compared to the 10% percentage Trump has imposed on the country.
“I don't really know that Norfolk Island is a trade competitor with the US giant economy in that regard,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. “But it illustrates the fact that it is not safe anywhere on the planet.”
In 2023, Norfolk Island exported $655,000 worth of products, including leather shoes and vehicle parts, to the United States, and imported $116,000 worth of products, including chemical fertilizers, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, a data visualization platform.
Other islands that received the 10% tariff rate include Tokelau, a New Zealand territory with fewer than 2,000 residents. The Norwegian Islands in Svalbad, which have around 3,000 residents, and Jan Meyen, a military officer with only human beings running weather and coastal service stations, were also targeted.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on why certain islands with few or no residents were targeted.
Renion, a French territory east of Madagascar, has a population of less than 1 million and is particularly faced with a steep tariff compared to the 20 people imposed on France. The Falkland Islands, the UK's overseas territory, must pay a 41% or 42% tariff compared to the 10% fees facing the UK (the White House gave two different numbers).
