Heard Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has found itself on the Trump administration’s new tariff list, drawing attention to this remote and largely uninhabited territory. Heard Island is about 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) southwest of Australia. Its unique ecosystem has developed entirely unaffected by outside plants, animals, or people. The island’s unique environment is characterized by its icy landscape, glaciers, and its status as home to Australia’s largest and only active volcano, Big Ben.
Despite Heard Island’s severe climate and stripped-back, volcanic landscape, it is an important area for wildlife. Penguins, elephant seals, and hundreds of seabird species call this harsh yet beautiful terrain home. These incredible animals have found a home in what has, until recently, been untouched by people for almost 10 years. In 2016, a similar cohort of amateur radio enthusiasts were able to get an exemption from the Australian government. They undertook the most recent known expedition to Heard Island in order to transmit from its desolate beaches.
Access to Heard Island as well is very restricted. It can only be accessed through a seven-day boat ride from Perth. This seclusion adds to its charm. At the same time, it points to the silent havoc that international tariffs can reap on even the most esoteric of locations. Because of these new tariffs, Heard Island now has a 10% duty on all of its exports to its largest trading partner, the United States. This is odd given how little it’s contributed to global trade.
According to export data from the World Bank, Heard Island exports an insignificant amount of product to the U.S. Among these are Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish, but this news has not yet been officially verified. The U.S. island is home to few large markets and is isolated in terms of commercial operations. Given this context, imposing tariffs is ludicrous.
This new reality has resulted in rising frustration among state and local officials. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented on the broader implications of such actions, stating, “It just shows and exemplifies the fact that nowhere on Earth is safe from this.”