New Delhi, April 7 -- US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday defended the inclusion of the remote Heard and McDonald Islands in President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariff plan, despite the islands having no human population or trade with the U.S.

Last week, President Trump unveiled a sweeping tariff regime that includes a 10% baseline tariff on all countries and reciprocal duties aimed at reducing the US trade deficit with about 60 nations. But observers noticed that the White House's public tariff list also included the Heard and McDonald Islands-a barren Australian territory in the southern Indian Ocean, best known for its penguin population and complete lack of inhabitants or exports.

During an interview with CBS News, Lutn...