In the crosshairs of stiff US tariffs, tiny coral islands in the South Pacific and Arctic outposts

MELBOURNE – The Trump medication appears to beryllium leaving nary chromatic unturned with its sweeping tariffs astir the globe, from rocky outcrops location to polar bears successful the Arctic to tiny tropical islands to a erstwhile British penal colony whose person is befuddled that it was targeted.

The American president rattled markets, manufacturers and much Wednesday announcing a baseline of 10% tariffs connected imports into the United States — and acold higher connected goods from immoderate places, notably those with precocious commercialized surpluses with the United States.

A fewer countries similar Russia, which is facing U.S. sanctions, and Canada and Mexico — which look abstracted U.S. tariff measures — were near off. The Holy See, for example, got a walk excessively from being listed among the dozens of countries and territories targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Here’s a look astatine immoderate people territories that person small to nary production, exports oregon relation successful the planetary economy. There was nary contiguous mentation arsenic to wherefore these places made the chopped successful a database presented connected the White House-affiliated “Rapid Response 47” relationship connected the X societal media platform.

Jan Mayen

This tiny Arctic island, perchance featuring much polar bears than people, figures among the much peculiar places connected the U.S. people list.

The lone inhabitants connected Jan Mayen, portion of Norway since 1930, are unit of the Norwegian subject and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The land — 600 kilometers (370 miles) northeast of Iceland — is partially covered by glaciers.

The Norwegian military's main relation determination is to oversee Norway’s assertion to sovereignty implicit the island, it flies C-130 Hercules cargo planes to Jan Mayen astir a twelve times a twelvemonth from Norway.

The planes are capable to onshore lone if visibility is bully arsenic the airdrome doesn’t person immoderate instrumentality landing capabilities.

Norway’s Foreign and Environment Ministries did not instantly reply to requests for remark Thursday from The Associated Press.

Tokelau

The federation made up of 3 tropical coral islands and location 1,500 radical connected a combined onshore country of 4 quadrate miles (10 sq. km), is besides facing 10% U.S. tariffs.

One of the smallest economies successful the South Pacific, Tokelau survives connected subsistence agriculture, fishing, and concern from New Zealand, which counts the islands arsenic 1 of its territories.

Roland Rajah, pb economist astatine the Lowy Institute, an Australian overseas argumentation deliberation tank, said officials successful tiny land nations would apt conflict to alteration Washington’s mind.

“If those countries didn’t get overmuch information successful presumption of what tariffs were imposed connected them fixed their size and obscurity to the Trump administration, that besides could marque it hard for them to bash thing astir negotiating their mode retired of those tariffs,” helium said.

Christmas Island

The person of Christmas Island, which has less that 2,000 people, said the Indian Ocean atoll exported thing to the United States.

“There’s nary commercialized betwixt Christmas Island and America but that we bash bargain mining instrumentality done Tractors Singapore,” said Christmas Island Shire President Gordon Thomson, referring to the determination trader for the Texas manufacturing elephantine Caterpillar Inc.

The Australian outpost located 360 kilometers (225 miles) southbound of the Indonesian superior Jakarta has utilized U.S. dense machinery to excavation phosphate for decades.

“The trade, if anything, is U.S. merchandise into Christmas Island. The lone happening that we export is phosphate and that goes to Malaysia, Indonesia, possibly Thailand and a spot to the Australian mainland,” Thomson said.

Heard and McDonald Islands

The Heard and McDonald Islands successful the distant Antarctic, which unneurotic signifier different Australian territory — this 1 uninhabited — is besides connected the database and taxable to 10% tariffs.

The mostly barren islands betwixt Madagascar and Antarctica person 2 progressive volcanoes and tin lone beryllium reached by sea.

Contacted by the AP, the Australian government’s Antarctic Division did not instantly respond erstwhile asked astir however the tariff mightiness impact its operations successful the islands.

Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island successful the Pacific, different Australian territory with a colonisation of astir 2,000 people, received much terrible tariff treatment.

The Trump administration, successful its calculation, said the erstwhile British penal colony charges the United States 58% tariffs — and it responded with a tariff complaint of 29% connected Norfolk Island, whose system revolves astir tourism. It's astir 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) eastbound of Sydney.

Norfolk Island Administrator George Plant, the Australian government’s typical connected the island, was looking into what was down it.

“To my knowledge, we bash not export thing to the United States,” helium told the AP. “We don’t complaint tariffs connected anything. I can’t deliberation of immoderate non-tariff barriers that would beryllium successful spot either, truthful we’re scratching our heads here.”

Speaking to reporters, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese quipped: “I’m not rather definite that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is simply a commercialized rival with the elephantine system of the United States.”

“But that conscionable shows, I think, exemplifies, the information that obscurity connected Earth is exempt from this.”

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Keaten reported from Geneva. Charlotte Graham-McLay successful Wellington, New Zealand, and Vanessa Gera successful Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.

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