Trump's Latest Tariff Targets: Norfolk Island's Unexpected Inclusion

Australia's Norfolk Island has been mistakenly caught up in Donald Trump's sweeping tariff regime, causing confusion among locals. Despite having no significant export industry, the island faces a 29% U.S. tariff. Business owners find the inclusion amusing and nonsensical, given their minimal trade with the U.S.

Australia's Norfolk Island, a remote and little-known territory, found itself unexpectedly included in U.S. President Donald Trump's extensive tariff regime. Local business owners and officials expressed confusion and amusement, given the island's negligible export activity.

Richard Cottle, who runs a concrete-mixing business on Norfolk Island, explained that the tariff, a hefty 29%, was likely a mistake. Despite sending a small number of Kentia palm seeds abroad, worth less than $1 million annually, the news spread quickly among the island's 2,188 residents, prompting questions about their inclusion on the list with economic heavyweights like China and the European Union.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, during his election campaign, acknowledged the anomaly, highlighting that no significant export industry existed on Norfolk Island. The island's concern is minimal as residents view the tariff as more comedic than impactful, given their mainstay is tourism and not trade.

(With inputs from agencies.)