Novum Structures in Diss at centre of mix-up over Donald Trump’s US trade tariffs

A Diss company along with other Norfolk businesses have inadvertently drawn a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean into Donald Trump’s trade war after a mix-up over shipments landed it with a whopping tariff.

US officials appear to have misinterpreted goods coming from OASE, a German aquarium and fountain company in Horsham St Faiths and Novum Structures in the town as originating from Norfolk Island – more than 10,000 miles away.

It meant the Australian territory, home to just 2,188 people, was surprised to be hit with 29 per cent tariffs this week despite saying it has no trading relationship with the US.

This is 19 per cent higher than the rest of Australia. George Plant, the island’s administrator, says islanders have been left “scratching their heads” at why they are facing such high tariffs when their economy relies predominantly on tourism.

The apparent blunder by US trade officials emerged in an investigation by the Guardian, which analysed US import data and shipping records used to calculate Trump’s tariffs.

The research identified errors in shipment labels – including from companies in Nelson’s County – as the likely cause for the Norfolk Island tariffs.

Bills of lading – crucial documents used in international trade between carriers and shippers – have erroneously listed Norfolk Island as the country of origin in a number of cases where the shipments actually came from firms in Norfolk in the UK.

Novum Structures, which is actually US owned and has its European headquarters in Diss, makes impressive glass structures for cruise ships, buildings and train stations.

Projects it has completed include a glass dome at Chester Zoo, Barking Riverside Station and Birmingham University’s STEAMhouse.

The apparent errors in the shipping records appear to have flowed through to the US census and trade data used to calculate tariffs.

Both OASE and Novum have been contacted for comment. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the companies or that any of the firms are responsible for the mix-up over the paperwork.

Australian officials have criticised the US, believing the blunders shows the tariffs were “rushed”.

Along with Norfolk Island, other uninhabited islands off the coast of Australia have also been hit with tariffs.

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the tariffs on the islanders showed “nowhere on earth is exempt from this”.

As a reader, we know the value you place on trusted local journalism. At the Diss Express we are committed to delivering the very best coverage from our communities, and we can only do this with the support of our readers.

By becoming a subscriber you not only support us in this mission, you also unlock a whole host of benefits, including unlimited access to ad-lite websites and digital editions of all our weekly newspapers. You can find out more about subscriptions here.

Use the promo code KEVINHURST to get an annual subscription for less than £25 - we really appreciate your support. Thank you.