On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order setting a 10% baseline tariff on covered imports, with higher rates specified for certain trading partners. Its list included imports from Heard and McDonald Islands—an uninhabited Australian territory associated with penguins—while Russia was absent. The “penguins, not Putin” line was a political jab at that contrast, not a literal description of what tariffs apply to.
What the “penguins, not Putin” headline refers to
Executive Order 14257, signed April 2, 2025, established an additional 10% duty on covered imports, subject to exceptions, and set out higher country-specific rates for partners named in Annex I. The Associated Press reported that Heard and McDonald Islands appeared on the list at 10% and described the islands as uninhabited. The territory is a remote Australian external territory in the sub-Antarctic.
Tariffs are duties on imported articles—not on animals or places as such. “Penguins” is shorthand for the islands’ wildlife and lack of human population. The policy question was why imports associated with the islands appeared in the schedule at all, not whether penguins were being charged a duty.
What the April 2 order did
The order set two parts of an announced tariff framework: a general baseline rate and higher rates for certain listed trading partners. Its text specified that the baseline would begin April 5, 2025, and that Annex I country-specific rates would begin April 9. These were rates for covered imports, subject to the order’s exceptions—not a claim that every product from every place would necessarily face the same treatment.
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The White House described the policy as a response to what it characterized as non-reciprocal trade relationships, tariff and non-tariff barriers, and persistent U.S. goods trade deficits. That is the administration’s stated rationale; the order and fact sheet do not independently prove that characterization or establish what economic effects the tariffs would have.
Why Russia’s absence needs context
Contemporaneous AP reporting noted that Russia was left off this particular list. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s line, as quoted by the AP, was: “Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin.” It was political criticism of the contrast between the listed islands and Russia’s omission.
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Omission from this list does not mean Russia was free of all U.S. trade restrictions. A country’s status under this tariff schedule is distinct from its treatment under other tariffs, sanctions, or legal measures. The list alone does not explain Russia’s broader trade status.
How the tariff schedule changed after the announcement
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| April 2, 2025 | Executive Order 14257 announced a 10% baseline for covered imports, subject to exceptions, and higher rates for partners in Annex I. |
| April 9, 2025 | A subsequent order temporarily suspended enforcement of the Annex I country-specific rates and set a 10% rate for listed partners beginning April 10. |
| February 2026 | A later White House order listed Executive Order 14257 among the tariff actions it ended. |
As a result, the April 2025 announcement is historical context, not a reliable guide to the rate currently due on a particular good. Current treatment depends on later laws and orders, the product’s classification and origin, and applicable exceptions.
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A headline about the tariff list cannot tell you whether a specific product currently carries a duty or how much. That requires checking the good’s customs classification and country of origin against the current official tariff rules, including any applicable exceptions and later changes. Do not use the original April 2 schedule alone to estimate today’s landed cost.
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