Penguins now have to pay Trump's hefty tariffs—at least in theory. In an unexpected twist in Donald Trump’s trade war, a set of remote, uninhabited volcanic islands near Antarctica—home only to glaciers, birds, and penguins—has been slapped with a 10 per cent tariff on goods along with mainland Australia.
The development has sparked strong criticism from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who denounced the decision as “illogical and unwarranted.”
The Heard Island and McDonald Islands, among the most isolated places on Earth, are located nearly 4,000 kilometres southwest of mainland Australia. Due to their remoteness, reaching the islands requires an arduous two-week voyage from Perth, and no human has reportedly set foot there in nearly a decade. Despite this, the Trump administration included them in its latest round of tariffs, alongside mainland Australia.
Speaking in Canberra, Albanese lamented, “Nowhere on Earth is safe.”
“The (Trump) administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic, and they go against the foundation of our two nations’ partnership. This is not the act of a friend,” he said, while reiterating that Australia would not impose reciprocal tariffs on the United States.
“We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth,” he added.
In a much-anticipated White House address, Trump, 78, declared the imposition of ‘kind’ and ‘discounted reciprocal’ tariffs on up to 180 countries. He argued that the move would make America “wealthy again” and bring jobs “roaring back.”
During his speech, Trump displayed a chart detailing tariffs imposed by various nations, including India, China, the European Union, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, on American products. He asserted that these countries would now face reciprocal duties.
Singling out India, Trump claimed the country had levied a 52 per cent tariff on American goods while the United States had previously imposed “almost nothing” in return.
“India, very, very tough. Very, very tough. The Prime Minister just left. He’s a great friend of mine, but I said, ‘You're a friend of mine, but you're not treating us right.’ They charge us 52%. You have to understand, we charge them almost nothing, for years and years and decades, and it was only seven years ago, when I came in, that we started with China and we took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China in tariffs,” Trump said.
According to the Australian Antarctic Program, reaching Heard Island from Fremantle, Western Australia, takes around ten days by sea, depending on weather conditions. The island serves as a crucial habitat for colonies of penguins, seals, and seabirds, many of which hold national and international conservation status.
While the Trump administration has yet to clarify the rationale behind targeting these desolate islands, the decision adds another layer of tension to US-Australia trade relations. Observers suggest that the move, though largely symbolic, may be part of a broader strategy aimed at maintaining pressure on US allies in trade negotiations.
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