The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has removed the mythical African country of Wakanda from an online list of nations that have free-trade agreements with the US.
The mistake was noticed by a Tweeter:
The software engineer was looking for data on US agricultural tariffs for a fellowship he is pursuing, reports Reuters.
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“I was very confused at first and thought I misremembered the country from the movie and got it confused with something else,” Mr Tseng told Reuters.
Before it was removed, Reuters adds that Mr Tseng downloaded an Excel spreadsheet listing “Harmonized Schedule” tariff codes for various goods traded between Wakanda and the US including live animals, dairy goods, tobacco and alcohol but that there was no mention of a trade agreement in vibranium – a fictional ultra-strong metal found in Wakanda.
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After the list was corrected, Tseng tweeted a tongue-in-cheek political analysis of the situation:
A spokesman told The Washington Post that the inclusion of Wakanda was a mistake made as part of a test officials were running.
well, the USDA took Wakanda off the list. guess we’re in a trade war with them too https://t.co/uee8f0WqiS https://t.co/kTYBjIAvfe
— Francis Tseng (@frnsys) December 18, 2019
well, the USDA took Wakanda off the list. guess we’re in a trade war with them too https://t.co/uee8f0WqiS https://t.co/kTYBjIAvfe
— Francis Tseng (@frnsys) December 18, 2019
??? pic.twitter.com/YwRf7aQj3h
— Francis Tseng (@frnsys) December 18, 2019
Source:Â bbc.com