Washington, D.C., April 3, 2025 – President Donald Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal tariffs,” signed into effect on April 2, have cast a wide net, targeting over 180 countries and territories with a baseline 10% duty and steeper levies for some. While major economies like China (54%) and the EU (20%) dominate headlines, the tariff list includes some truly obscure and unexpected locales—places with little to no human presence or economic activity. Here are five of the most bizarre locations caught in this trade war, as reported by outlets like CNBC, The Washington Post, and CNN.
1. Heard Island and McDonald Islands (Australia) – The Uninhabited Penguin Haven
Nestled 4,100 km southwest of Perth and 1,700 km from Antarctica, the Heard Island and McDonald Islands form an Australian external territory hit with a 10% tariff. This volcanic, ice-covered duo—uninhabited by humans—hosts penguins, seals, and seabirds in one of the world’s “rarest pristine island ecosystems,” per UNESCO. With no permanent population or exports (save for occasional Australian fishing in its economic zone), the tariff’s inclusion baffled observers. “Penguins facing tariffs is peak 2025,” quipped one X user. Australian PM Anthony Albanese called it a sign “nowhere on Earth is safe,” per The Guardian.
2. Norfolk Island (Australia) – A Tiny Dot with a Big Levy
Norfolk Island, a volcanic speck 1,600 km east of Sydney with 2,188 residents, faces a hefty 29% tariff—nearly triple mainland Australia’s 10%. Once a brutal British penal colony, it now thrives on tourism and modest Kentia palm seed exports (under $1 million annually, mostly to Europe). In 2023, it shipped just $655,000 in goods to the U.S., mainly leather footwear, per the Observatory of Economic Complexity—hardly a trade titan. Locals like concrete mixer Richard Cottle laughed it off to Reuters: “We don’t export anything. It was just a mistake.” Albanese echoed the confusion, questioning why this “little dot” was singled out.
3. British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) – A Military Base with Fishy Exports
This overseas British territory, anchored by Diego Garcia’s joint U.K.-U.S. military base, got slapped with a 10% tariff. No civilians live among its 3,000 military personnel and contractors, and its only noted export—fish—raises questions about who’s catching or buying it, per the CIA World Factbook. Home to a key U.S. Navy facility tracking deep space and supporting Indian Ocean operations, its strategic value far outweighs its economic footprint. “Tariffing your own base is next-level,” one X post mused, highlighting the oddity of penalizing a national security asset.
4. Jan Mayen (Norway) – A Desolate Whaling Ghost Town
Jan Mayen, a Norwegian Arctic island, faces a 10% tariff despite having no permanent residents—just a rotating crew of 18 military and meteorological workers. Once a whaling hub, it’s now a “desolate, mountainous” outpost with zero economy, per the CIA Factbook. Alongside Svalbard (also 10%, with 3,000 people), it’s listed separately from Norway’s 15% rate, prompting X users to jest about routing goods through polar bear territory for a discount. “Trump’s taxing polar bears now?” one wrote. Its inclusion defies trade logic, given its nil U.S. trade record last year, per Census Bureau data.
5. Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) – A French Enclave’s Shellfish Shock
Off Canada’s Newfoundland coast, this French territory of 5,000 people—the last remnant of France’s North American empire—faces a staggering 50% tariff, far exceeding France’s 20% EU rate. Its economy leans on “processed crustaceans and shellfish,” exporting modestly to the U.S., per the CIA Factbook. Compared to Lesotho (also 50%, with $180 million in U.S. exports), its $50 million GDP makes it a minnow. “What did these fishermen do to Trump?” an X post wondered, as the tariff threatens to gut its niche trade.
A Trade War Gone Wild
Trump’s tariffs, dubbed “Liberation Day” in his April 2 Rose Garden speech, aim to punish trade surpluses and boost U.S. manufacturing. Yet, hitting these remote oddities—where penguins outnumber people and exports are negligible—has sparked ridicule and head-scratching. The White House justifies including territories like Heard and McDonald as extensions of nations like Australia, but with no meaningful trade (Heard’s 2024 U.S. imports: $0), the logic falters. As markets reel and retaliation looms, these bizarre targets underscore the tariffs’ scattershot reach—proving even the emptiest corners can’t escape the chaos.
