Trump Defends Tariffs on Remote Islands Populated by Penguins

The Trump administration enforces a 10% tariff on Australia's uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, citing efforts to close trade loopholes despite widespread criticism.

The Trump administration has imposed a 10% tariff on Australia's Heard and McDonald Islands, territories with no human population and minimal trade activity.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated the measure aims to prevent other nations from exploiting trade loopholes by routing goods through unlisted territories.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized the tariffs as unwarranted, adding to international backlash over the broader policy targeting 86 countries and territories.
The tariffs are part of a broader strategy to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and strengthen domestic manufacturing, a continuation of Trump's earlier trade policies.
The inclusion of the islands has drawn widespread ridicule, with critics dubbing them 'penguin tariffs' due to their remote location and penguin population.