Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on a remote group of islands that are completely uninhabited and home to penguins instead of people. Heard and McDonald Islands (HIMI) were reportedly last visited by humans nearly 10 years ago. But they have still been included in a list released by the White House of places that are to be subject to new trade charges. Payments of 10% would have to be made if any fish-related trade instigated by the avian population were to take place. The barren land masses are only reachable by riding a boat for two weeks from Perth on Australia’s west coast.
The country has exercised sovereignty over Heard Island and McDonald Islands as external territory since 1947. The same arrangement is had with the Cocos, or Keeling, Islands, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island. The Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce (CCC) says the HIMI’s land and surrounding waters are “so unique that certain kinds of scientific research can only be conducted here due to the location south of the Antarctic Convergence, the presence of arctic glaciers, rare and elaborate colonies of wildlife of high conservation, the complex flora and unhampered status of the environment and ecosystems.”
The local economy, the CCC adds: “Although there is no indigenous economic activity, the Australian Government permits limited fishing in the surrounding waters.
“Visits to Heard Island typically focus on terrestrial and marine research and infrequent private expeditions.”
In October 2002, the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve was founded, which includes the islands themselves, the surrounding territorial sea and a marine protected area extending in part to the outer boundary.
It is the largest fully protected marine reserve, covering an area of 6.5million hectares, and the islands are claimed for research purposes only.
Another territory famous for its penguins, the British-controlled Falkland Islands, have also been tariffed, at a whopping 41%.
Australia itself has been hit with a 10% tariff on all exports to the US, with Trump citing “trade barriers” like Aussie biosecurity laws, which include a ban on American beef.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move was “totally unwarranted”, but added that his country would not introduce its own tariffs in retaliation.