Escalating the magnitude of his trade war, US President Donald Trump, in an unanticipated move, slapped a 10 percent tariff on goods from uninhabited volcanic islands near Antarctica — home only to glaciers, penguins and seals — along with mainland Australia.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands, an external Australian territory, which rank among the most isolated places on Earth are also facing the brunt of Trump’s trade war. It is important to note that reaching these isolated islands requires a tiring two-week boat journey from Perth, and no human has reportedly set foot there in nearly a decade.
Soon after the announcement, the move of the US President prompted a sharp reply from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who responded, saying, “Nowhere on earth is safe."
Reacting to the 10-percent tariff announcement, Albanese added that it’s “not the act of a friend", adding that his country will not retaliate with its own levies.
As per the information provided by the Australian Antarctic Program, it is very difficult to reach the two islands, which are part of the sub-Antarctic island group located in the Southern Ocean, about 4,000 km southwest of mainland Australia. The island hosts colonies of penguins, seals, and various bird species, some of which hold national and international conservation status.
Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) declared sweeping ‘discounted’ reciprocal tariffs on several countries, setting a baseline 10 percent rate for all trading partners. Trump said he would impose a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports to the United States and higher duties on some of the country’s biggest trading partners.
In addition to this, the US President announced a 26 percent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, 34 percent on Chinese goods. Meanwhile, Vietnam will face a tariff of a massive 45 percent, while Thailand will face 36 percent, and the European Union will face a tariff of 20 percent, among other nations.
