"Penguins have been ripping us off for years": Mockery for Trump's US tariffs on uninhabited islands and atolls

Tagesspiegel "Penguins have been ripping us off for years": Mockery for Trump's US tariffs on uninhabited islands and atolls Miriam Rathje • 7 hrs • 3 mins read The newly imposed US tariffs don't just affect major economies like China or the EU. The list of affected countries presented by US President Donald Trump also includes tiny island states and remote areas, some of which are not even inhabited. Uninhabited penguin island exported goods to the US For example, the Heard and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean are included in Trump's tariff catalog. They are among several Australian territories listed separately on the list and are to be subject to a ten percent US tariff in the future. The volcanic archipelago is one of the most remote areas in the world and is located approximately 4,000 kilometers southwest of Australia. The population is listed as zero. The island is populated only by king penguins, seabirds, and seals. The penguins have been ripping us off for years. Anthony Scaramucci, US manager US hedge fund manager and former spokesperson for Donald Trump, Anthony Scaramucci, commented on the tariffs imposed on Heard and McDonald Islands via X. "The penguins have been ripping us off for years," mocked the man who served as White House Communications Director under Trump for just ten days in 2017. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is puzzled by Trump's latest plans. Regarding the planned tariffs imposed on Heard and McDonald Islands and other island groups, the politician said it was "all a bit strange." Citing World Bank data, the German Press Agency reports that the territory is said to have exported goods worth $1.4 million to the United States in 2022. The goods are primarily from the "machinery and electrical sector." However, it is not clear which goods are specifically meant by this. Diego Garcia is only inhabited by the military Trump's list also includes the last remaining part of British territory in the Indian Ocean. This includes the Chagos Archipelago, including the island of Diego Garcia. The indigenous population was expelled from the archipelago in the 1970s when the US established a military base there. Today, the Diego Garcia Atoll is inhabited by just over 4,000 military personnel. The Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, also included by Trump on the list, are home to just under 600 inhabitants. However, the wildlife is at least densely populated: The red-footed booby seabird has as many as 30,000 breeding pairs in Pulu-Keeling National Park alone. Frigate birds and the Keeling's Warbler can also be found there – alongside green turtles, sea snakes, and corals. US Tariffs on Sparsely Populated Island Groups In general, the White House doesn't seem to distinguish between large and small, rich and poor countries. In Trump's tariff list, territories of larger countries, which often have their own tariff regulations due to their geographical location, are listed as independent trading actors. For example, the sparsely populated Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean will be subject to a tariff rate of 29 percent in the future. "The last time I checked, Norfolk Island was part of Australia," said Australian Prime Minister Albanese. However, Australia would only have to pay a 10 percent tariff in the future. Albanese Irritated by Trump's Tariff Plan "I'm not sure what Norfolk Island's main exports to the United States are and why they were singled out, but they were," Albanese continued. The Pacific islands of Tokelau, which will be affected by the US tariffs in the future, are a New Zealand dependent territory. The archipelago consists of just three tropical coral atolls and covers a total area of ​​12.2 square kilometers; it is home to 1,499 inhabitants.