No explanation from White House why tiny Aussie island's tariffs are nearly triple the rest of Australia's

[microwave@lemmy.world]

Summary

The U.S. imposed a 29% tariff on Norfolk Island, nearly triple the 10% rate applied to the rest of Australia, with no explanation from the White House.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed confusion, noting Norfolk Island’s limited economic activity. The territory has a population of about 2,000 and minimal exports.

Other remote territories like Christmas Island and Heard and McDonald Islands also received tariffs, though the latter are uninhabited.

[floon@lemmy.ml]

Someone he doesn’t like personally came from Norfolk Island, I’ll lay odds.

[nokturne213@sopuli.xyz]

[pixxelkick@lemmy.world]

I'm sorry they put tarrifs on uninhabited islands lol

[darkcloud@lemmy.world]

Nope, my bet is they set it based on the name alone and aren't even aware it's part of Australia.

Probably went: "Norfolk Island? Sounds like somewhere we can push around, 29%".

They're not sending their best people.

[aurenkin@sh.itjust.works]

Those uninhabited islands were formed specifically to rip off America!

[quill7513@slrpnk.net]

bamboozle them with bullshit

[motor_spirit@lemmy.world]

is that nelson mandela

[Guest]

100% this. Morons all the way down

[ploot@lemmy.blahaj.zone]

More likely someone he didn't like came from Norfolk VA or Norfolk MA or Norfolk NE, or Norfolk in England or Canada, and Trump's team doesn't know the difference.

[neverclear@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

https://slrpnk.net/comment/14847360

[bobs_monkey@lemm.ee]

All the way up, remember that Trump is their lackey

[thebananaking@lemmy.world]

They're just setting the tarriff to half the 'trade deficit' percentage.

Where the actual trade amount is trivial, this leads to ludicrous results.

[thebat@lemmy.world]

Other remote territories like Christmas Island and Heard and McDonald Islands also received tariffs, though the latter are uninhabited.

What a weave by a certified stable genius.

[slartibartfast@lemm.ee]

Nope just a Trump supporting piece of right wing shit.

[joshcodes@programming.dev]

Christmas Island is well known for its asylum camps... and nothing else? Stupid is really the only word.

From wikipedia:

Christmas Island's geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of interest to scientists and naturalists.
...
As of the 2021 Australian census, the population of Christmas Island is 1,692.

And there's a town there called "The Settlement"?

Good pick /s

[takeda@lemm.ee]

People seem to cracked it.

It looks like he used ChatGPT to create this policy.

And ChatGPT basically calculated that trade deficit is other countries' tariffs. Then he took that value divided by 2 and applied 10% floor.

[dellish@lemmy.world]

Trump's fucking head is uninhabited yet here he is costing us a lot, so I guess that's the same as Heard Island tarrifs, right?

[dugmeup@lemmy.world]

Elon for loop mastery

[Guest]

Because that island exports 1000 dollars worth of timber (or whatever) to America, but only imports 300 dollars worth of paint (or whatever) from America. Trumps child like brain sees that as them taking advantage of poor old America. The numbers must be equal or better for America or they are being cheated. Even though America needs more wood and the isle folk don't need any more art supplies. He's an idiot.