Trump tariffs include remote Australian islandsCEFR A2
8 Apr 2025
Adapted from Kevin Rennie, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Emmanuel Appiah, Unsplash
US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs that included several distant Australian territories. Norfolk Island was given a 29 percent tariff. That island has about 2,000 people and reportedly no exports to the USA. Tourism and the island's pine trees and beaches are important there.
The Heard and McDonald islands were given a 10 percent tariff. Those islands are uninhabited and home to wildlife that includes penguins. Reactions appeared quickly online, with jokes and criticism on sites like Reddit and TikTok. Some people said the listings could be mistakes in trade data, for example when shipment locations are mislabelled.
Difficult words
- tariff — a tax on imported or exported goodstariffs
- territory — an area that belongs to a countryterritories
- export — a product sent to another country to sellexports
- tourism — activity of people visiting places for pleasure
- uninhabited — with no people living there
- mislabelled — given the wrong label or location on records
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Would you like to visit a small island with beaches and pine trees? Why or why not?
- What problems can happen if shipment locations are mislabelled in trade data?
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