Trump’s “Liberation Day” rates hit the uninhabited antarctic islands

The prices of the “Liberation Day” of President Donald Trump targeted improbable targets on Wednesday – a collection of remote antarctic territories not hampered by humans and better known for penguins, sea birds and glaciers.

During the press conference held at the Pink Garden of the White House, Trump revealed a large poster as a visual help for his announcement. The poster has shown prices and other “currency manipulation and commercial barriers” that countries were imposed in the United States.

The column next to this showed its reciprocal prices on these countries, ranging from 10% to 50%.

Among them were the Heard and McDonald Islands, which, in particular, are not countries but Australian external territories without permanent human residents.

According to Trump’s poster, the Heard and McDonald Islands had imposed a 10% rate in the United States. The White House confirmed to BI that the islands had been struck by reciprocal rates because they are Australian territories.

Located in the South Indian Ocean, the Heard and McDonald Islands extend to around 37,000 hectares – slightly larger than Philadelphia. They are covered with glaciers and volcanic rocks and house large populations of rockhopper penguins and their predator, the seals of southern elephants.

The islands are located about 2,500 miles southwest of Perth, Australia. The territory is managed by the Antarctic Australian division, which oversees conservation efforts and climate research.

The islands are also recognized for their natural values ​​and are protected by the World Heritage Convention.

The Christmas islands and the Cocos Keeling islands, which are also Australian external territories, have been struck by 10%prices. According to the latest available data from the Australian Statistics Bureau, the Cocos Keeling islands have a human population of less than 600 people.

Trump’s “liberation day” rates have struck some countries harder than others. China was struck by a rate of 32%, the European Union with 20%and India with 26%. Australia, like its external territories, was affected by a tariff of 10%.

In response to a request for BI comments, representatives of the Antarctic Australian division led Bi to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has not responded.