A tiny island between Australia and New Zealand has been slapped with 29% tariffs by the US - in what appears to be a mix-up with the UK county that shares its name. The 2,000-strong population of Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean was left confused after being hit with hefty tariffs by Donald Trump this week, 19% points higher than the rest of Australia.

While it was just one of several bizarre territories singled out by the US President in his sweeping "Liberation Day" levies - also including the penguin-inhabited Heard and McDonald Islands - it appears that US officials confused Norfolk Island with its namesake county in the UK, over 10,000 miles away. Trump's administration seems to have misunderstood the origin of goods being shipped to the US from an aquarium firm and engineering company based in Norfolk, UK, according to The Guardian's analysis of the import data and shipping records used to calculate the tariffs.

The confusion reportedly stemmed from erroneous listings on international trade documents, which recorded Norfolk Island as the country of origin for shipments that actually came from the UK.

Among the businesses mistakenly linked to the remote pacific island was OASE, a German aquarium based in the village of Horsham St Faith, and US-owned glass and steel engineering firm Novum Structures, based in the market town of Diss. There is no indication that either of the firms were responsible for the paperwork mixup.

Norfolk Island administrator George Plant told ABC Sydney that residents had been left "scratching their heads" after the announcement - especially since the small community doesn't have a trade relationship with the US, with an economy that's predominantly reliant on tourism and exports of evergreen pine.

"I think they're as confused as I am," Mr Plant said. "I've had a few calls from the community and we really cannot understand it."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a similar reaction - telling reporters: "I'm not quite sure Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the US, but that just exemplifies that nowhere on earth is exempt from this."

Meanwhile, trade minister Don Farrell had a more blunt response, suggesting that the 29% tariff was "clearly a mistake".

"I think it's an indication, to be honest with you, that this was a rushed process," he added.

Meanwhile, Norfolk in the UK has got off significantly lighter than its Pacific Ocean counterpart, with Trump only charging a "baseline" 10% levy on goods entering the US.

The US leader's slew of tariff announcements has already destabilised global financial markets, however, with the prospect of retaliatory action fuelling fears of an all-out global trade war.

The US Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.