"Tariffs on Penguins?"... Trump Imposes Reciprocal Tariffs Even on Uninhabited Antarctic Islands

"Are They Really Imposing Tariffs on Penguins?"
Trump Administration's Unusual Tariff Targets Spark Global Controversy

As the Trump administration in the United States imposed reciprocal tariffs on countries around the world, it has sparked controversy by imposing tariffs even on uninhabited islands in Antarctica, with critics asking, "Are they really imposing tariffs on penguins?"

(This photo is not directly related to the article) Penguin. Pixabay

According to foreign media including the UK Guardian on the 2nd (local time), the Trump administration announced the countries subject to reciprocal tariffs and imposed a 10% reciprocal tariff on the volcanic and uninhabited island of the 'Heodeu Maekdonaldeu Jeodo' (Heard and McDonald Islands) located in the southern Indian Ocean. The island is about 1,700 km away from the Antarctic continent and consists of Heard Island, which has the 2,745-meter-high active volcano 'Mawson Peak,' and McDonald Island.

Incorporated into Australia in 1947, this island is currently one of Australia's seven 'external territories.' It takes a full two weeks by boat from Perth, Australia, to reach it. No people live there, but it is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site where penguins and seals inhabit mainly around the coastal wetlands.

The Guardian cited World Bank data, reporting that the United States imported goods worth $1.4 million (about 2.05 billion KRW) from this island in 2022. Most of these were 'machinery and electrical' items, but the exact details were not disclosed.

There are other absurd tariff targets by the Trump administration. The U.S. imposed a 29% reciprocal tariff on Norfolk Island, Australia, which has a population of only about 2,000, nearly three times higher than the basic tariff rate of 10% imposed on Australia. This island, located 1,600 km from the eastern coastal city of Sydney, exported products worth $655,000 (about 950 million KRW) to the U.S. in 2023, of which $413,000 (about 600 million KRW) were leather shoes.

The Australian Prime Minister also expressed disbelief. On the same day, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, "I am not sure if Norfolk Island is a major economic and trade competitor of the United States," pointing out the flaws in Trump's tariff war.

In addition, Jan Mayen Island and the Svalbard Archipelago, territories near the Arctic belonging to Norway, were also subject to a 10% reciprocal tariff. Jan Mayen has no permanent population except for about 20 personnel including military and meteorological station staff, and the population of the Svalbard Archipelago, home to polar bears, is less than 3,000.