A cluster of icy, uninhabited volcanic islands near Antarctica – home to predominantly penguins – has been hit with a 10 per cent tariff.

The islands are one of a number of oddities that have left experts and some world leaders scratching their heads.

The Heard and McDonald Islands do not even have human inhabitants but still appeared on the same list as China and the European Union as recipients of Trump’s highly anticipated trade regime.

The islands were among dozens of tiny territories including Norfolk Island, in the southern Pacific and home to just 2,188 people, which was hit with a steep 29 per cent tariff.

Richard Cottle, owner of a concrete-mixing business on Norfolk Island, said: “Norfolk Island is a little dot in the world. We don’t export anything.”

Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, said on Thursday: “Nowhere on earth is safe.”

Diego Garcia, another remote island included in the tariffs, exports nothing and is uninhabited except for a joint US-UK military base.

No escape for Israel

In a last-minute rush before Mr Trump hit global trading partners with reciprocal levies, Israel backed down and cancelled all its remaining tariffs.

It wasn’t enough for Mr Trump though, with Israeli goods exported to the US now facing a 19 per cent tariff.

The move comes despite Israel and the US signing a free trade agreement 40 years ago, meaning around 98 per cent of goods from the US are now tax free.