With a long and much-discussed list, the Trump administration has proceeded to impose tariffs on imported products from dozens of countries and regions, including even uninhabited island territories, overseas territories and poor small states with little trade activity.
The new trade strategy, which Donald Trump himself triumphantly presented from the White House gardens, provides for a minimum tariff of 10 percent on all imports into the United States, while for some partners the percentages reach or even exceed 50 percent.
Countries such as China (34%), the EU (20%), Vietnam (46%) and Taiwan (32%) coexist on the same list, as well as exotic or little-known territories.
Among the most notable cases are the Heard and McDonald Islands, an outer Australian territory of 4,100 km. away from Perth and 1,700 km. from Antarctica. The islands are literally uninhabited and are characterized by UNESCO as an area with a rare, untouched ecosystem, as one can only find penguins, birds and seals.
Access to the islands requires a two-week trip by boat to Australia, but since yesterday they are required to pay 10% tariffs on imports to the USA, which they obviously do not!
Similar cases were recorded for the Norfolk Islands (29%), Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas Islands (10%), prompting ironic commentary from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said: "I'm not sure if Norfolk is a competitor of the US, but this shows that no part in the world is safe from this policy."
Customs duties also in the overseas territories
Among the areas that have been particularly affected are the overseas territories of European countries. The islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a French self-governing region in the Atlantic, were burdened with tariffs of more than 50 percent, surpassing metropolitan France. Correspondingly, Réunion in the Indian Ocean records a burden of up to 37%.
The British Indian Ocean – without a permanent population, with fish as its only exportable product – was charged with 10% tariffs.
The biggest impacts are recorded in the Falkland Islands, a British territory in the South Atlantic, where exported seafood was subject to 41% tariffs. The decision was based on the difference between exports ($27.4 million) and minimum imports from the U.S. ($329,000).
Blow to the poorest countries
Tokelau, a small dependent territory of New Zealand with just 1,600 inhabitants and little connection to the outside world, was also ranked on the list of countries with a 10% tariff, despite the complete absence of ports, airports and commercial activity.
Nauru, one of the world's smallest and poorest nations with no measurable exports to the U.S., was also included in a 10 percent tariff, even though it is in danger of disappearing from climate change.
Of particular concern is the burden of 50% tariffs on Lesotho, despite the fact that it participates in the AGOA programme set up to facilitate Africa's poorest countries. The country mainly exports textiles, while 58% of its inhabitants live below the poverty line.
Myanmar, already under sanctions, is hit with a 28% tariff, while Madagascar was burdened with 22%, mainly due to vanilla exports of 143 million euros. Dollars.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's list was presented as an attempt to balance the trade balance, but its algorithm for sorting and imposing tariffs has prompted questions, sarcasm and criticism for the lack of differentiation based on the actual size, population and economic potential of each region.
