Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer mocked President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 10% tariff on exports to the US from uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands - remote regions where no one lives other than many seals, penguins and other birds. 

Advertisment

"The tariffs are so poorly planned that he's taxing penguins, not Putin, because the tax is levied on the Heard and McDonald Islands, where only penguins live," Schumer said as he also pointed out that Russia wasn't on the tariff list. North Korea, Cuba and Belarus were not on the list. But why? 

"Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin," posted US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, referring to the fact that Russia was not on the US tariff list. 

Also read: Netanyahu to meet Trump in Washington this week, first foreign leader to discuss tariffs in person

Advertisment

What did the US say? 

In defence, the White House said sanctions on Russia over President Vladimir Putin's war meant that there was no "meaningful" trade on which to impose tariffs. 

In a statement, a White House official told The Hill that the four nations "are not subject to the Reciprocal Tariff Executive Order because they are already facing extremely high tariffs, and our previously imposed sanctions preclude any meaningful trade with these countries." 

Advertisment

Also read: 'Sent in error': Trump administration accidentally tells Ukrainian refugees to leave US in email blunder

The official also added that Trump has "recently threatened to impose strong sanctions on Russia" to further explain leaving out Moscow. 

A report by The Wall Street Journal mentioned that Russia has a running trade surplus with the US of $2.5 billion. Moscow was left, but many nations that have much smaller trade imbalances with America were still slapped with tariffs. 

Also read: 'They will never sink our ships again!' Trump shares video of US airstrike on Houthis, says no attack by terror group now

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the West, including the US, imposed numerous rounds of sanctions, but Russia still sells enriched uranium and some chemicals to America. 

The Trump administration is currently undergoing a significant rapprochement with Moscow that may result in a massive reset in relations since the fall of the Soviet Union. It is assumed that Trump may have greater negotiating power if he excludes Russia from the tariff attack. 

Trump also said last month that he is weighing additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia as a way to bring Moscow to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. 

Also read: Trump in touch with India and two other nations to negotiate trade deals that could revise tariffs: Report

(With inputs from agencies)