The remote islands, inhabited only by seals and penguins, hit with 10% tariff by Trump

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday, President Donald Trump was resolute in his desire to impose sweeping tariffs on trading partners around the world.

“My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. We’ve been waiting for a long time,” he said. “It’s our declaration of economic independence.”

Since returning to power Trump has made a point of highlighting economic arrangements that he believes are unfair, whether that be the European reliance on US military support or the trade deals made with China. However his new tariffs did not only focus on these major power blocks, but also on some lesser-known nations.

A hand-out given to journalists at the White House event outlines a 10% reciprocal tariff for the Heard and McDonald Islands. The two-island grouping is an external territory of Australia and is considered one of the most remote places on the planet.

The 144 square-mile island was only discovered in the mid-19th century and has been considered Australian territory since 1947. So, what about the trading implications of the new tariffs? Given that there are no residents on the territory and only only a fraction of the once-large seal population, there is little chance of the United States turning much of a profit from the new arrangement.

In total more than 180 countries and territories were included in the document shared by Trump administration officials. The President has been a vocal proponent of tariffs since his successful re-election campaign in 2024 and he was full of optimism during a 50-miute address delivered in front of an audience of cabinet members, Republican lawmakers and members of the American workforce.

“It’s going to be a day that hopefully you’re going to look back in years to come and you’re going to say, ’You know, he was right. This has turned out to be one of the most important days in the history of our country,‘” Trump said.

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