The Trump administration rolled out sweeping tariffs this week, taking aim at targets at a Penguin Island tariff, a territory only inhabited by animals. Times are tough as Trump’s trade war expand to this, eh?

More specifically known as the Heard and McDonald Islands, this desolate, ice-covered patch of wilderness 4,000 kilometers off Australia is suddenly part of a global trade shakedown. The move leaves many wondering about its strategy, impact, and global reaction.

Penguin Island Tariff… WTF?

One theory of why Trump is doing this is that Penguin Island, an Australian territory, has become a tax haven for companies that are dodging tariffs. Allegedly, Australia’s stance allows businesses to set up headquarters there, skirting trade penalties.

The mass media then gaslights that Trump hates penguins when really Australia is trying to avoid tariffs. That explanation is wrong.

Misclassified trade data appears to be the culprit here. Aquarium gear and footwear, tied to clerical mix-ups, were falsely credited as exports from the remote Heard and McDonald Islands. These Australian-held volcanic outposts are desolate, home to penguins and seals, and accessible only by a week-long boat trip.

Despite their isolation, the Trump administration slapped a 10% tariff on goods “sourced” from the islands, stirring outrage. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a global overreach, while Mike Coffin from the University of Tasmania said, “There’s nothing there.”

The Experts Have Spoken. Trump Tariffs Are an Economic Disaster

(source)

Obviously, people saying the Trump tariffs are bad have never gotten anything wrong before… right, right?! The truth is, Cramer isn’t mad that Trump went ahead with the tariffs; he’s in favor of that. He’s mad that Trump didn’t have reciprocal tariffs. In other words…

  • Trump announced some time ago that they would be reciprocal.
  • If a nation charged us X%, we would charge them X%. If they charged us 0%, we would charge 0%
  • Financial people and crypto investors do their thing, based on the assumption that it would be reciprocal.
  • But then Trump announces this new plan that it would be set at 50% of whatever the other people are charging, with a minimum of 10%

While the Heard and McDonald Islands likely remain as they always have – icy, barren, and full of penguins – the controversy surrounding this policy reminds us that geopolitics can reach even the most untouched and seemingly insignificant corners of the Earth.

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Key Takeaways

  • The Trump administration rolled out sweeping tariffs this week, taking aim at targets at a Penguin Island tariff.
  • Misclassified trade data appears to be the culprit here. Aquarium gear and footwear, tied to clerical mix-ups.
  • Trump announced some time ago that they would be reciprocal, now that his plan has changed we’ll see how this ends

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Isaiah Mccall
Isaiah Mccall
Crypto Analyst

Isaiah McCall is an ultramarathon runner and journalist for 99Bitcoins. He started at USAToday in 2019 and now has a Medium blog following of 30k+ and millions of views. Follow him at @AfroReporter Read More

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