Trump’s most surprising tariffs: Islands only inhabited by penguins and a USA military secret base

In a move that defies conventional economic logic, Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on remote territories with no commercial relevance, some of which are home only to penguins or even U.S. military personnel. Presented under the “Liberation Day Tariffs” banner, the list of affected regions has left many puzzled by its lack of consistency or strategic reasoning.

Territories with no economy now face tariffs

Among the most baffling targets are the Heard and McDonald Islands, Australian territories in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Uninhabited and covered in ice, their only residents are seals and penguins. Yet, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on their nonexistent exports.

The situation becomes even more surreal with Diego Garcia, a British-owned atoll that functions as a key U.S. military base. Despite being populated exclusively by American military personnel and contractors, it has also been hit with tariffs. The irony of taxing one’s own military operations has drawn widespread criticism.

Micronations caught in the crossfire

Tiny nations with minimal economic weight haven’t been spared. Lesotho, a landlocked African country, now faces a 50% tariff despite its limited trade with the U.S. Meanwhile, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory near Canada, saw its modest seafood exports punished with the same heavy rate.

The reasoning behind these decisions appears to stem from a flawed method of calculating trade imbalances, where even a symbolic export without return imports can look like a surplus. As a result, islands without GDP or population were flagged as economic threats, highlighting the absurdity of the current trade strategy.