Rod McGuirk and Jamey Keaten, Associated Press
Melbourne, Australia (AP) — The Trump administration appears to have left a wide tariff-inverted stone around the world, from rocky outcroppings around the world to polar bears in the Arctic.
The US President announced the baseline of 10% tariffs on imports into the US, including markets, manufacturers and more on markets. This announced that it is much higher than commodities, particularly from places with a high trade surplus with the US.
Several countries, such as Russia, which are facing US sanctions, and Canada and Mexico, are facing US tariff measures — have been removed. The Holy See, for example, got a pass from being listed among dozens of countries and territories targeted by US President Donald Trump.
Let’s look at some of the target regions that have little denial of production, exports, or role in the global economy. There was no immediate explanation as to why these locations were cut to the list presented on the “Rapid Response 47” accounts belonging to the White House on the X social media platform.
Yang Meien
This small Arctic island, featuring perhaps more polar bears than people, is located in a more unique location on the US target list.
The only inhabitants of Jan Meyen, part of Norway since 1930, are staff of the Norwegian military and Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Iceland’s island 370 miles northeast is partially covered with glaciers.
The main role of the Norwegian military is to oversee Norwegian claims about the sovereignty of the island. It flies the C-130 Hercules freight plane from Norway to Jan Meyen about once a year.
The airport does not have the equipment’s landing capabilities, so planes can only land if visibility is good.
Norwegian Foreign and Environmental Ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment from the Associated Press on Thursday.
Tokerau
The country, made up of 1,500 people in three tropical coral islands and homes on a four-square miles of land area, also faces 10% US tariffs.
One of the smallest economies in the South Pacific, Tokelau survives in subsistence agriculture, fishing and finance from New Zealand, which counts the island as one of its territory.
Roland Raja, a lead economist at the Roy Institute, an Australian foreign policy think tank, said officials from the small island nation would likely have a hard time changing Washington’s mind.
” Given the size and obscurity of the Trump administration, it can make it difficult to do anything about negotiations from those tariffs if they weren’t given much consideration in terms of tariffs being imposed,” he said.
Christmas Island
The Indian Ocean Atoll has not exported anything to the US, said the leader of Christmas Island, which is less than 2,000.
“There is no trade between Christmas Island and the United States except that they purchase mining equipment through tractors Singapore,” says Gordon Thomson, president of Christmas Island Shire, referring to the regional dealership at Caterpillar, a leading Texas manufacturer.
A front post in Australia, located 225 miles south of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, has been using our heavy machinery to mine phosphates for decades.
“Trade is a US product to Christmas Island, if any. The only thing we export is phosphate, which goes a little to Malaysia, Indonesia, perhaps Thailand and the mainland Australia,” Thomson said.
Heard and the McDonald’s Islands
The remote Antarctic Heard and the MacDonald Islands, which form another Australian territory, are also listed and subject to 10% tariffs.
The almost barren island between Madagascar and the Antarctic is home to two active volcanoes, which can only be reached by sea.
When contacted by the Associated Press, the Australian Government’s Antarctic Division did not respond immediately when asked about how tariffs affect activities on the island.
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island in the Pacific, another Australian territory with a population of around 2,000, has received more severe tariff treatment.
In its calculations, the Trump administration said the former British prison colony has charged the US with a 58% tariff. The company then responded at a tariff rate of 29% on Norfolk Island, where its economy is centered around tourism. It is about 1,000 miles east of Sydney.
Norfolk Island manager George Plant, the Australian government’s island representative, was looking into what was behind it.
“As far as I know, we’re not exporting anything to the US,” he told the AP. “We don’t charge tariffs on anything. I’m scratching my head here because neither of them can think of the non-tariff barriers that will be enforced.”
Speaking to a reporter, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “I don’t really know that Norfolk Island is a trade competitor with the US’s huge economy in that regard.”
“But I think it just shows the fact that nowhere on earth is exempt from this.”
Keyten reported from Geneva. Charlotte Graham McRae of Wellington, New Zealand, and Vanessa Gerra of Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.
Original issue: April 3, 2025 9:34am EDT
