US President Donald Trump issued fresh reciprocal tariffs on a few countries this Wednesday. But what grabbed global headlines was when he decided to charge tariffs on uninhabited islands, which led to controversy.
Tariffs on Remote Islands
Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on Australia-controlled Heard and McDonald Islands. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rebuked the action, claiming that there is no safe place on earth from Trump's tariffs. He termed the act as not friendly but made it clear that Australia would not be imposing reciprocal tariffs on US exports. A White House official defended the tariff, stating that the islands are within Australian territory.
These islands, in the distant Southern Ocean, take two weeks to travel from mainland Australia. They are volcanically active and populated by seals, penguins, and seabirds but do not have any permanent human population.
Tariffs on Norwegian Territory
Trump also slapped a 10 percent tariff on Jan Mayen, which is a Norwegian volcanic island located in the Arctic Ocean, 580 miles north of Tromsø, Norway. This volcanic island with polar bears has minimal tourists and no permanent population. Besides that, Trump raised tariffs on Norwegian imports to 15 percent.
His actions have created stir across the world with many questioning the extent and reason why these tariffs are set.
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