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The administrator of a tiny Australian island targeted by Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs has confirmed it will not be paying a higher tariff despite being identified on a list circulated by the United States president.
On Thursday, , but Norfolk Island was singled out for higher tariffs despite being an Australian territory.
Norfolk Island was facing a 29 per cent tariff, which the US said was in response to the 58 per cent tariff (including currency manipulation and trade barriers) it faced from Norfolk Island.
A spokesperson for the Norfolk Island administrator told SBS News it had “no known exports” to the US.
“Tourism is the main industry on Norfolk Island and the primary driver of economic activity,” she said.
Norfolk Island is located about 1,600km from Australia. Source: Getty / Encyclopaedia Britannica/Universal Images Group
“There are no known exports from Norfolk Island to the United States of America and no tariffs or known non-tariff trade barriers on goods coming to Norfolk Island,” the spokesperson said.
Norfolk Island is an external Australian territory about 1,600km north-east of Sydney. It has a population of around 2,188 people.
The spokesperson said they had confirmed the island would not be subject to a higher 29 per cent tariff — only the 10 per cent being applied to Australia broadly.
“It appears that the official Trump administration’s executive order that applies additional tariff rates on specific countries does not include Australia or the external territories including Norfolk Island,” she told SBS News.
“This means the 10 per cent tariff announced today applies to all of Australia.”
Uninhabited Heard and McDonald islands also targeted
There was also confusion around why the Heard and McDonald islands, both uninhabited Australian external territories, were .
The islands are populated by seals, penguins, and birds — but not by people.
The US has suggested a 10 per cent tariff will be placed on goods from these islands, a “reciprocal” tariff on the 10 per cent it believes it pays.
Norfolk Island is part of Australian territory
In his address, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese questioned why Norfolk Island had been singled out.
“I think Norfolk Island somehow has been hit with 29 per cent tariff rather than 10 per cent,” he told reporters.
“Last time I looked, Norfolk Island was a part of Australia.”
Residents of Norfolk Island vote in Australian elections and are subject to laws on taxation, social security, immigration, biosecurity, customs and health arrangements, including Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
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