US Government Accidentally Lists Wakanda as Official Trade Partner—The Internet Reacts
You can’t make this stuff up.
On Wednesday night it was discovered that the fictional country of Wakanda (the setting of the 2018 blockbuster movie Black Panther) was listed on the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) tariff tracking list of free trade partners.
According to BBC Africa, the listing was discovered by a software engineer by the name of Francis Tseng, who stumbled upon the gaffe while conducting research for a fellowship. What’s perhaps even stranger, is that the list included detailed information about items that had been traded between the US and a non-existent Wakanda, including donkeys, cows, fresh vegetables, covfefe coffee and more.
Wakanda is listed as a US free trade partner on the USDA website?? pic.twitter.com/xcq1OFTIPh
— Francis Tseng (@frnsys) December 18, 2019
Tseng took to Twitter to share his findings, later telling Reuters that he was was confused after seeing Wakanda listed.”[I] thought I misremembered the country from the movie and got it confused with something else.”
Shortly after the listing was discovered, the USDA removed it, stating that Wakanda’s inclusion on the list was a mistake from the start and part of “testing.” USDA spokesperson Mike Illenberg told The Washington Post that the department was”using test files to ensure that the system is running properly.”
“The Wakanda information should have been removed after testing and has now been taken down,” he added, but not before the media and internet got a hold of the mixup, prompting several jokes and remarks about the US being in a trade war with Wakanda. Both “Wakanda” and “vibranium” are currently trending on Twitter.
This isn’t even the first instance of Wakanda being mistaken for a real country and published as such for the world to see. Back in 2017 British Airways’ in-flight magazine listed the fictional nation as the home country of lead actress Lupita Nyong’o.
As one might have noticed, the current state of American politics, is worrisome (to say the absolute least) so it appears the Wakanda free trade news has brought about some much-needed comedic relief. Check out some responses to the mixup below.
Guys, buy shares in Vibranium NOW https://t.co/6lOiwTKlQm
— Andrew Hunter Murray (@andrewhunterm) December 19, 2019
What a time it is to be alive, the US, showing the UK how to forge new trade relationships post-Brexit. #GetBrexitDone https://t.co/ykkLPWGdDg
— Reece Pugh (@Reeceypugh) December 19, 2019
Trump working extra hard for black votes. We see you bruh.https://t.co/Bgvd5X7CQS
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) December 19, 2019
US government lists fictional nation Wakanda as trade partner https://t.co/TUhqSxgwaS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 19, 2019
Akeem is not happy he’s been left out of new trade deals! pic.twitter.com/pvuWvDQl2W
— Gary Webb (@Webb1Gary) December 19, 2019
US trade deficit level with Wakanda is unacceptable. Buy American. https://t.co/rJjUl1VXcC
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) December 19, 2019
BBC – OkayAfrica
