An Australian cafe is imposing tariffs on its U.S.-made products, aiming at supporting the people of Ukraine.
Cafe on Queen, founded by Jan Giles and Adrian Sykes, is located in Binalong, a village with only 500 population in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales.
The couple has added one and two Australian dollars to the sale of products made by American companies. They have also pulled other U.S. bottled beverages from their shelves.
The proceeds will go to the Australian Red Cross Ukraine appeal.
"Adrian, who is always thinking, which worries me sometimes, said we need to put a tariff on coke and Jim Beam and coke. And we need to remove the American products," Giles explained the idea.
"We could have used 'surcharge' but we used 'tariffs', and as it turned out they slapped 25 percent on Australian steel and aluminum. So I think it's appropriate," said Sykes.
The tariffs are in response to a fiery exchange took place earlier this month in the American Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
"I couldn't believe that anybody would treat somebody else like that, let alone a head of state," Giles said.
They have also hung an American flag upside down.
"And I just felt America was in a state of distress and an upside down flag actually symbolizes a state of distress," said Sykes.
Surprisingly, the added charges haven't hurt business. And customers are supportive of the couple's actions.
"I think it is terrific," a customer said.
"We think it's wonderful," echoed another.
"Over the last weekend, we've sold more coke products than we've ever sold," Sykes said.
The cafe's stand has even inspired a local musician named Daniel Kelly, who wrote a song with lyrics writing "So we're slapping some tariffs on the USA until that school yard bully is made to go away."
The owners denied having any connection to Ukraine. Their stand is out of mere support for the people of Ukraine.
"No, there's no Ukrainian attachment there, familial attachment. But we just felt so sad for the Ukrainian people (and) it all comes from the way Zelensky was treated in the Oval Office," Giles said.
The couple says they'll continue the tariffs, and match any funds raised with their own money, until the message coming from this usually quite rural town is heard in the White House.
"This has all gone a little bit mad. I say it's gone feral, but my daughters tell me ' Dad, it's actually gone viral,'" Sykes was excited.
Australian cafe imposes "tariffs" on US products to support Ukraine
Australian cafe impose tariffs on US products to support Ukraine
Asian youths are bringing attention to the unique green lifestyles and environmental philosophies of their home countries, highlighting their significant impact on daily life and advocating for their broader global adoption.
These themes align closely with the agenda of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025, which will be held from March 25 to 28 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. With the theme "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future," this year's event focuses on development, foster dialogue, explore innovative formats and emphasize tangible outcomes, all aimed at promoting international development and cooperation.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), several Asian youths studying in China were invited to discuss their countries' green lifestyles and environmental concepts.
"Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, but Kyrgyzstan has huge resources of ground and surface water, with substantial reserves in rivers, eternal ice and snow tracks. These water resources play a crucial role in supporting agriculture, hydropower generation, and providing drinking water to the population," said Adel Baktygulova, a Kyrgyz student.
"In Indonesia, we have this culture of wrapping our food and banana leaf and also brown paper. This practice is especially common in Padang food, which is a traditional food from West Sumatra. I think this practice can definitely be implemented in China. Instead of wrapping our food in plastic, we could change into something a more biodegradable material such as banana leaf," said Celia Annetta, an Indonesian student.
"With a profound awareness of the consequences of climate change, many Vietnamese youths are choosing green lifestyle by introducing innovative approaches to good productions and embracing eco-friendly products. Green and recycled materials are gaining momentum in Vietnam, driven by the passions of young individuals committed to contributing to a sustainable and eco-friendly society. The rise of startups in Vietnam focusing on eco-friendly products, such as daily essentials stationery and clothing made from bamboo, grass and recycled materials, is a testament to the creativity and determinations of young entrepreneurs," said Do Pham Ngoc Die, a Vietnamese student.
Then students also shared the green technologies or environmental concepts they have encountered in China.
"When I first came to China, I saw a lot of electrical buses, cars, common shared bikes, and I was impressed by the amount of it. Because in Kyrgyzstan, just in a few recent years we started to pay attention and promote green energy more. But also recycling system was a new habit for me, I started to practicing this while I'm studying and living in China because recycling is not common back home," said Adel Baktygulova.
"One notable example is the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Cities like Beijing and Shanghai have seen a rapid increase in the use of electric buses, taxis, and private cars," Do Pham Ngoc Die said.
"Most motorcycles I've seen here are E-bikes instead of fuel powered bikes. Indonesia is also a bike heavy country, with 123 million bikes on the road as of 2023. If we could switch to E-bikes instead of fuel powered bikes, I think it could definitely make a big difference on our air pollution and making our environment cleaner," said Celia Annetta.
Asian youths highlight green lifestyles ahead of upcoming Boao Forum
