Trump's sweeping new US tariffs include uninhabited islands

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump unveiled a series of sweeping tariffs Wednesday that extend to regions around the globe, including the remote, uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean, according to the website Axios.

The Australian territory, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, was added to a list of areas subject to a baseline 10% tax on US imports, alongside mainland Australia.

A White House official confirmed that the inclusion of Heard Island and McDonald Islands is due to their status as Australian territory.

Other regions affected by the new tariffs include Jan Mayen, a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean, which, like Heard Island, has no permanent human population.

Jan Mayen and the nearby Svalbard archipelago will see a 10% tariff, while mainland Norway faces a 15% tax on US imports.

The British Indian Ocean Territory, home to the US-UK Diego Garcia military base, is also impacted by the 10% baseline tariff.

Trump announced sweeping tariffs against dozens of countries and economic regions, including the European Union. Imports from the EU will face a 20% surcharge, while other countries face a minimum rate of 10%.