‘What’s the orange man done now?’ Norfolk Islanders puzzled by Trump tariffs

Norfolk Island’s 2200 inhabitants have found themselves as unlikely adversaries in Donald Trump’s global trade war.

Norfolk Island will be slugged with a 29 per cent tariff by the Trump administration. Picture: supplied

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Fringed by the South Pacific, Norfolk Island is known for its towering pine trees, lofty sea cliffs and emerald green pastures offering a serene escape for visitors.

But on Thursday the 2200 inhabitants of the tiny island – an external territory of Australia – found themselves unlikely adversaries in Donald Trump’s global trade war.

The territory, 1700km northeast of Sydney, was slapped with a tariff of 29 per cent on “exports” – almost three times the 10 per cent duty Mr Trump applied to Aus­tralian goods sold to the US.

The punitive sanction has left local authorities scratching their heads: the island has no exports with the US, or virtually any other country.

“There are no known exports from Norfolk Island to the US, and no tariff or known non-tariff trade barriers on goods coming to ­Norfolk Island,” island admin­istrator George Plant said.

It’s not the only Australian territory singled out for special treatment in Mr Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.

The barren Heard and McDonald Islands near Antarctica inhabited only by colonies of seals and penguins were hit with their own 10 per cent tariffs, along with Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The White House has offered no explanation for the geographic overreach.

Norfolk Island’s “discounted reciprocal tariff” is half the alleged 58 per cent duty the Trump administration claims the territory charges US imports.

The island’s residents were largely unaware of the tariff blow, or viewed it some sort of joke.

“What’s the orange man done now?” tourism business operator Mary-Lou asked.

Real estate agent Sharon shrugged off the trade hit.

“No one here’s going to lose sleep over this,” she said.

Distiller Brad Forrester, owner of Norfolk Island Liqueurs, was similarly baffled by the US President’s efforts to penalise the tiny South Pacific island he has called home since 1994.

“It’s all very bizarre,” he said. “I don’t really understand the logic. In fact, I don’t really understand the logic in [Mr Trump’s] tariffs at all. From what I can glean, Australia imports more from America than it exports (there) anyway.”

While much of his product is sold to the island’s roughly 30,000 annual visitors – mostly Australian retirees – Mr Forrester said he had sent bottles of his liqueur to the US “once or twice”.

“I suppose we’ll be less competitive in the US now,” he joked.

Norfolk Island’s only other export is a small quantity of Kentia palm seeds, which are not shipped to the US.

A bemused Anthony Albanese took some solace that even Norfolk Island had not been spared from the Trump tariff blitz. “That just shows … that nowhere on earth is exempt from this,” the Prime Minister said.