Trump announces tariffs on eight European countries amid dispute over Greenland
President Trump said he will impose a 10% tariff in February on goods from eight European nations, rising to 25% in June if no agreement is reached over U.S. control of Greenland.
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By Torontoer Staff
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will impose a 10 per cent import tariff beginning in February on goods from eight European countries, increasing the rate to 25 per cent on June 1 if no deal is reached over what he called the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
Trump named Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland in a Truth Social post while at his West Palm Beach golf club. He framed the tariffs as leverage to force negotiations over Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark with strategic and mineral importance.
What the announcement would do
The immediate measure would apply a 10 per cent duty to imports from the eight countries Trump listed. The president said the duty would increase to 25 per cent on June 1 unless an agreement was reached for U.S. control of Greenland. He described the tariffs as a tool to prompt “negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk.”
The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them.
Donald Trump, Truth Social
Why Greenland matters
Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, is a remote Arctic island that hosts U.S. and NATO defence infrastructure and has significant mineral resources. The United States has access under a 1951 defence agreement and maintains a presence at Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning, defence and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is strategically important and has suggested the United States should own the island, citing concerns about Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic.
European response and public reaction
Hundreds marched in Nuuk in support of Greenland’s self-governance, despite near-freezing conditions. Thousands also demonstrated in Copenhagen, where protesters carried Greenland’s flag and signs opposing a sale. Danish and Greenlandic officials have emphasised that decisions about the island rest with Greenland and Denmark.
This is a fight for freedom. It’s for NATO, it’s for everything the Western Hemisphere has been fighting for since World War II.
Tillie Martinussen, former member of Greenland’s parliament
Military and alliance implications
Denmark organised recent deployments to Greenland as part of Arctic defence training with NATO allies, and Danish commanders stress those operations are routine cooperation rather than political signalling. Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, head of the Joint Arctic Command, said he would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country and described the activity as training.
I will not go into the political part, but I will say that I would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country.
Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, Joint Arctic Command
The tariff threat risks straining relations with longstanding allies. A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visited Copenhagen to reassure partners, and Sen. Chris Coons said undermining trust with Denmark would damage broader U.S. alliances.
If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
Trade and legal questions
Experts immediately raised questions about how the White House would implement targeted tariffs against countries that participate in the European Union’s single market, and whether U.S. law permits the move. The administration could cite emergency economic powers, but those authorities are currently the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court challenge and could face legal obstacles.
What to watch next
Trump is due to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, where he could encounter the European leaders he has threatened with tariffs. Markets, exporters and diplomats will be watching whether the administration follows through in February and whether negotiations with Denmark or the other countries produce a different outcome before the June escalation.
The dispute places Greenland’s future, transatlantic trade and NATO cohesion at the centre of an emerging diplomatic confrontation. The coming weeks will show if the announcement becomes a concrete policy or a bargaining posture.
GreenlandtariffsTrumpDenmarkNATOtrade
