British News Agency

Australia’s uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands in Antarctica have appeared on the White House’s list of "countries" to be subjected to new trade tariffs.

Part of Australia's external territories, the Heard and McDonald Islands are among the most remote places on Earth, reachable only by a two-week boat journey from Perth on Australia’s western coast. These islands are entirely uninhabited and are believed to have not been visited by humans for about ten years.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday, “No place on Earth is safe.”

The Heard and McDonald Islands are among several of Australia's “external territories” listed separately in the tariff schedule, and a 10% tariff will be applied to goods from them.

Additionally, Norfolk Island — with a population of 2,188 and located 1,600 kilometers northeast of Sydney — was hit with a 29% tariff, 19 points higher than the rest of Australia.

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Norfolk Island exported $655,000 worth of goods to the US in 2023, with leather shoes accounting for $413,000 of that total.

However, Norfolk Island administrator George Plant disputed these figures, telling the Guardian: “There is no known export from Norfolk Island to the US, and no known tariff or non-tariff trade barrier for goods coming into Norfolk Island.”

Prime Minister Albanese added on Thursday:

“There is a 29% tariff on Norfolk Island. I’m not sure Norfolk is a trade rival to the US’s massive economy, but this shows and demonstrates that no place in the world is safe from this.”