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Is Trump slapping taxes on penguins too? Netizens react as tariff list includes islands with no humans

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The Economic Timespublisher-detail-arrow
03rd April, 2025 20:37 IST
President Donald Trump’s latest wave of import tariffs has taken an unexpected turn, extending beyond major economies to some of the most remote and uninhabited places on Earth. Among the affected locations is Heard and McDonald Islands, a desolate Australian territory in the southern Indian Ocean, where the only inhabitants are seabirds, penguins, and seals. Despite the lack of economic activity—or even permanent human presence—these islands have been hit with a 10% tariff, leaving many wondering: Who exactly is paying these taxes?

Trump’s administration rolled out the tariffs on April 2, calling it “Liberation Day.” The sweeping measures impose baseline 10% tariffs on all imports, with steeper rates for some key trading partners—34% on China, 20% on the European Union, 46% on Vietnam, and 32% on Taiwan. However, the inclusion of places with no trade at all has sparked confusion and amusement.

Internet Reacts to the Bizarre Tariffs
The announcement, which was accompanied by charts detailing affected territories, quickly went viral on social media. Many were perplexed by the presence of remote, uninhabited islands on the list, with users questioning whether penguins or seabirds were now being taxed.


Even Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seemed puzzled by the logic behind the tariffs, particularly those placed on Norfolk Island—a tiny Australian territory with a population of just 2,000 people. Norfolk Island was hit with a 29% tariff, despite mainland Australia facing only 10% duties. The U.S. is one of Norfolk’s largest trading partners, with 31% of its exports heading stateside.


"Norfolk Island has got a 29% tariff. I’m not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States," Albanese remarked according to The Guardian.

One netizen on X (formerly Twitter) hilariously remarked, " Heard and McDonald Islands are volcanoes with no human inhabitants but the seabirds and penguins are gonna be pissed."

Another pointed out the ridiculousness of the idea

Another netizen got sarcastic stating, " The 10% tariff on the Heard and McDonalds Islands will show the penguins who live there. It’s all very thought through."

More Tiny Islands and Military Bases Caught in the Net
It’s not just penguin colonies and tiny island communities that have been affected. Cocos Island (population: 544) and Christmas Island (population: 1,692) have also been subjected to 10% tariffs. Meanwhile, the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has no permanent residents, was included on the list—despite its largest island, Diego Garcia, being a joint U.K.-U.S. military base housing around 4,000 military personnel.

France’s Réunion and New Zealand’s Tokelau Also Impacted
In another surprising move, Réunion, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, is facing some of the highest tariffs at 37%—even higher than the European Union’s 20% tariff rate. Meanwhile, Tokelau, a remote New Zealand-dependent territory with just 1,600 residents, was also slapped with a 10% tariff. With no harbors, ports, or airports, Tokelau is accessible only via a 24- to 36-hour boat journey from Samoa, making the idea of trade with the U.S. almost nonexistent.

Global Trade or Random Selection?
While Trump's tariffs were introduced as a strategic economic measure, the inclusion of territories with little to no trade activity has sparked widespread debate. Critics argue that some of these tariffs seem arbitrary, with no clear justification for targeting places that have little to no impact on the U.S. economy.

For now, seabirds and penguins remain unaware of their newfound role in global trade policy—but the internet certainly isn’t letting it go unnoticed.

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