Trump threatens 10% tariff on eight European countries over Greenland dispute
Trump said the U.S. will impose a 10% tariff on goods from eight European nations, escalating a dispute over Greenland and straining NATO ties.
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By Torontoer Staff
President Donald Trump announced a plan to impose a 10 percent import tariff on goods from eight European countries beginning in February, citing their opposition to U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland. He said the rate would rise to 25 percent on June 1 if no agreement is reached on what he described as the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
The move, posted on Truth Social from his Florida club, names Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland as targets. It sets up a potential trade confrontation with key NATO partners and raises immediate questions about legal and logistical feasibility.
What Trump announced
The tariff threat is framed as leverage to force negotiations with Denmark and other European governments over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark with strategic value in the Arctic. In his post the president wrote that the United States was open to talks: "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."
Trump has repeatedly voiced interest in Greenland, citing its location and mineral resources. The United States already has defence access to Greenland under a 1951 agreement and operates a remote base that supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance. The president has argued that Russia and China could seek influence on the island.
Reactions in Greenland and Europe
The announcement drew immediate protests in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, and in Copenhagen. Hundreds marched in near-freezing weather in Nuuk to assert support for Greenlandic self-governance. In Copenhagen thousands carried Greenlandic flags and signs reading slogans such as "Hands Off."
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 Greenland MP
This is important for the whole world. There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.
Elise Riechie, Danish protester
European leaders have publicly rejected the idea that Greenland could be sold or ceded by Denmark. Denmark has increased its military presence in Greenland and coordinated with allies on Arctic security, including planning meetings that involved the United States and other NATO members.
Legal and military complications
Implementing country-specific tariffs against members of the European Union would be complicated because the EU functions as a single economic zone for many trade purposes. Diplomats and trade experts also note that U.S. legal authority to impose such tariffs could hinge on emergency economic powers that are under challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court.
On the ground in Greenland, Danish military officials say recent deployments by European forces were for training and Arctic defence exercises, not to provoke the United States. Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen said the deployments were aimed at joint training and readiness, and he rejected the idea that allies would attack one another.
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. For us, for me, it’s not about signaling. It is actually about training military units, working together with allies.
Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, Joint Arctic Command
U.S. lawmakers visiting Copenhagen attempted to reassure Denmark and Greenland of continued support, while warning that tariffs could damage trust with long-standing allies. "There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark," Sen. Chris Coons said. "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?"
Possible economic and geopolitical fallout
If implemented, tariffs would affect exporters and supply chains tied to the named countries. Some European governments previously accepted temporary trade concessions to protect broader ties with Washington. A return to tariff threats could prompt retaliatory measures, complicate trade negotiations and increase political friction within NATO.
The announcement also has a timing dimension. Trump is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he may encounter the same European leaders he has threatened with tariffs. Public disagreement at an international forum could amplify divisions on defence and trade policy at a moment when Arctic security is a growing focus for many governments.
What to watch next
- Whether the White House files formal tariff measures and the legal basis it cites
- Responses from the European Union and individual governments named in the post
- Any follow-up diplomatic engagements between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk
- Movement on Arctic defence cooperation among NATO members
The dispute highlights tensions at the intersection of trade policy and security priorities in the Arctic. Greenland’s strategic location and resources have attracted interest from multiple capitals, but both Denmark and Greenland maintain that decisions about the territory rest with them.
The coming weeks will show whether the tariff threat is an opening gambit for negotiations or the start of a sustained policy that could reshape relations between the United States and several European allies.
TrumpGreenlandtariffsNATOEurope
