At a Glance
- President Trump will hit eight European nations with a 10% import tax starting in February
- The rate jumps to 25% on June 1 if the U.S. fails to secure “complete and total purchase” of Greenland
- Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and Finland are targeted
- Why it matters: The move threatens to fracture NATO and spark a trans-Atlantic trade war
President Donald Trump announced Saturday he will impose a 10% tariff on goods from eight European countries starting next month, escalating his campaign to force Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States.
The sweeping trade penalty targets Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. The rate will rise to 25% on June 1 unless negotiations produce “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social while at his West Palm Beach golf club.
Tariff Threat Targets NATO Allies
Trump framed the tariffs as retaliation for European opposition to American control of Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory he calls critical to U.S. national security. The president indicated he was open to talks but offered no details on how the levies would be applied, since the European Union negotiates trade as a single bloc.
A European diplomat, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the plan raises immediate legal questions. Trump could invoke emergency economic powers, though those authorities are under challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The announcement lands days before Trump travels to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to encounter many of the leaders he just threatened.
Greenland’s Geopolitical Value
Greenland sits at the crossroads of the United States, Russia and Europe, making it a strategic prize for more than 150 years. The island hosts the remote Pituffik Space Base, home to 200 U.S. personnel who support missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance for Washington and NATO.
Under a 1951 defense agreement, America already has base access. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told Olivia M. Hartwell that U.S. troop levels have fallen from thousands across 17 installations after World War II to the current contingent.
Trump argues that ownership of the mineral-rich island is essential for his proposed “Golden Dome” missile shield and warns that Russia and China could seize it. He has offered no public evidence of such a threat.
European Resistance Grows
Leaders across Europe rejected the idea of selling Greenland, insisting the decision rests with Denmark and the territory’s 57,000 residents.
In Nuuk, hundreds marched through near-freezing rain chanting for self-governance. Former Greenlandic lawmaker Tillie Martinussen called the showdown “a fight for freedom” and said preserving NATO mattered more than facing tariffs, though she acknowledged the economic risks.
Thousands more demonstrated in Copenhagen, waving Greenlandic flags and signs reading “Hands Off” and “Make America Smart Again.”
Danish protester Elise Riechie told Olivia M. Hartwell, “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”
Military Exercises Proceed
Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, head of the Joint Arctic Command, said recent NATO training in Nuuk was routine Arctic defense preparation, not a message to Washington. He noted no Chinese or Russian warships have appeared off the coast during his 2½ years in command.
Andersen confirmed that, in the unlikely event of a U.S. attack on Danish soil, his troops would respond. “I would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country,” he said aboard a Danish vessel docked in Nuuk.
The Danish military hosted allies, including the United States, for Arctic security planning Friday and invited U.S. forces to join the upcoming Operation Arctic Endurance.
Diplomatic Stalemate
A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visiting Copenhagen sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of continued support. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., emphasized Denmark’s value as an ally and warned that coercive tactics could undermine trust across NATO.
Earlier in the week, Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. The talks yielded only an agreement to create a working group whose purpose Denmark and the White House promptly described in conflicting terms.
Trump has repeatedly turned to tariffs to pressure allies, extracting investment pledges from some nations and retaliation from others, most notably China. On Friday he recalled threatening pharmaceutical tariffs on Europe and teased doing the same for Greenland.
Key Takeaways
- Trump is using trade threats to pursue a territorial purchase unprecedented in modern times
- European capitals show no sign of yielding, boosting military and diplomatic coordination
- Tariffs risk inflaming trans-Atlantic tensions days before high-level meetings in Davos
- The standoff tests NATO cohesion as concerns mount over U.S. reliability
