Trump tariffs extend to uninhabited islands and beyond
The tariff list signed on Wednesday by Donald Trump includes the most remote corners of the world. Among them are even uninhabited islands like Heard and McDonald Islands, which are inhabited only by penguins and seals.
What do you need to know?
- American Tariffs have even covered the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, part of Australia, with a 10% tax on all exported goods.
- Falklands have been hit with a 41% tariff on exports to the USA, despite their main export products being mussels and frozen fish.
- Myanmar, which is struggling with reconstruction after an earthquake, now faces a 44% tariff on exports to the United States.
It's unclear why American tariffs covered uninhabited islands
American tariffs, introduced by President Donald Trump, extended to the most distant and uninhabited places in the world. Heard and McDonald Islands, which are an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, were subjected to a 10% tax on all exports, even though they are inhabited only by seals, penguins, and birds. A similar situation occurred for the Cocos Islands, although about 600 people live there.
Falklands and Myanmar on the tariff list
As noted by the AFP agency, the Falklands were also impacted by a 41% tariff on exports to the USA. This is particularly detrimental for this territory, which mainly exports mussels and frozen fish. The Falklands, with a population of 3,200 people and about one million penguins, ranked 173rd in the world for exports, with a value of £233 million in 2019. Meanwhile, Argentina, which claims rights to the Falklands, was only subjected to a 10% tariff.
Myanmar, which is still rebuilding after an earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people, now has to pay a 44% tariff on exports to the USA.
