Trump tariffs a remote, penguin-inhabited island in the Indian Ocean

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When the White House published its complete list of reciprocal tariffs (running on a few pages and naming nearly 200 countries and territories), it is a Chinese country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, second only to the U.S. economy. Its mutual tariff rate is 37%.

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But, scroll to the bottom of the list and you will find some lesser-known parts of the world that are also reciprocal tariffs. Hearing raised eyebrows (and maybe a few feathers), the McDonald’s Islands (McDonald’s Islands) listed at 10%, the lowest rate the Trump administration has provided.

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However, this tariff is difficult to collect due to the exception of seals, penguins and other birds, because the islands are uninhabited. They are also one of the most remote places on the planet. Although owned by Australia since 1947, it is about 4,000 kilometers away from Australia and almost equal to Madagascar. The nearest continent is Antarctica, about 1,600 kilometers away.

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A website of the Australian government noted: “Human activities in the region have been restricted due to extreme isolation between Hill Island and McDonald’s Islands, coupled with ongoing severe weather and marine conditions.”

It added: “Since its first landing on Hall Island in 1855, only about 240 have visited the island with coastal visits, and only two landings on McDonald’s Island (1971 and 1980).

The site notes that the visit there revolves around land and ocean research as part of the Australian Antarctic Science Program.

News website Axios reported that White House officials said the islands were included in the chart because they are Australian territory. But Trump critics introduced the news.

“Penguin has stripped us for years,” joked Anthony Scaramucci, the one-time communications director for Trump’s first term.

Tom Malinowski, a Democrat and former New Jersey Representative, added: “The islands and McDonald’s penguins have used us for too long – now it’s time for us to stand on them!”

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Australian territory may be the most unusual item on the list, but other territories have also attracted attention. Its website says the Cocoa Islands are another far-reaching Australian territory, “declining 14.2 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean” – also facing 10% tariffs, but at least its population is about 600, a small economy and small economy, consisting mainly of tourism and management.

Then there are Svalbard and Jan Mayen, which also has 10% mutual tariffs on the list. Although the Norwegian archipelago in Svalbard has a population of thousands, Jan Mayen, of the nearby Spoon-shaped island, has no permanent residents, although it is home to the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology.

It is also home to several species of birds, one of which is Northern Fulmar, known as Seabird by Birdlife International in May 2022.

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