From the Guardian: "The export figures from Heard Island and McDonald Islands are even more perplexing. The territory does have a fishery but no buildings or human habitation whatsoever.
"Despite this, according to export data from the World Bank, the US imported US$1.4m (A$2.23m) of products from Heard Island and McDonald Islands in 2022, nearly all of which was “machinery and electrical” imports. It was not immediately clear what those goods were.
“In the five years prior, imports from Heard Island and McDonald Islands ranged from US$15,000 (A$24,000) to US$325,000 (A$518,000) per year.”
So my best guess is that someone is running some kind of money laundering scheme involving fictitious imports… I have no idea how this would work, but those figures are insane.
Thanks. I had been guessing it was the cost of the scientific expeditions on this island, paid by an American university or something, and somehow calculated as imports. But yeah, 1.4m$ im machinery and electrics from an uninhabited island indeed smells fishy.
From the Guardian: "The export figures from Heard Island and McDonald Islands are even more perplexing. The territory does have a fishery but no buildings or human habitation whatsoever.
"Despite this, according to export data from the World Bank, the US imported US$1.4m (A$2.23m) of products from Heard Island and McDonald Islands in 2022, nearly all of which was “machinery and electrical” imports. It was not immediately clear what those goods were.
“In the five years prior, imports from Heard Island and McDonald Islands ranged from US$15,000 (A$24,000) to US$325,000 (A$518,000) per year.”
So my best guess is that someone is running some kind of money laundering scheme involving fictitious imports… I have no idea how this would work, but those figures are insane.
The Norfolk Island tariffs are also barking.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/donald-trump-tariffs-antarctica-uninhabited-heard-mcdonald-islands
Thanks. I had been guessing it was the cost of the scientific expeditions on this island, paid by an American university or something, and somehow calculated as imports. But yeah, 1.4m$ im machinery and electrics from an uninhabited island indeed smells fishy.
Nice pun
Rip that guy I guess, he’s gotta pay terrifs on that dirty money now