Trump announces tariffs on 8 countries over Greenland dispute

Measure affects Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands, Finland and the United Kingdom. An initial 10% surcharge applies from February and will gradually increase until the US can purchase the territory.

US President Donald Trump announced tariffs against eight countries to force negotiations. But Europeans reaffirm support for Greenland after Trump’s threat.

European leaders call an emergency meeting and talk about “blackmail”. Germany says it has ended its mission in the region.

The eight European countries threatened by American President Donald Trump with the imposition of tariffs because of their defense of the territorial integrity of Greenland warned this Sunday (18/01) that the gesture “undermines transatlantic relations and risks triggering a dangerous downward spiral”.

The joint note, considered unusual and very assertive, is signed by strong allies of the United States: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.

The eight countries were threatened by Trump with the imposition of tariffs after sending military personnel to Greenland for training this week — something they say poses no threat to anyone.

“As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” the statement said.

“We maintain full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland”, the note continues. “We are ready for a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we firmly support. Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk triggering a dangerous downward spiral.”

Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic, Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, but Trump wants to subordinate it to Washington’s control. He claims that the issue is a matter of national security, given the strategic location of the territory and its mineral reserves, and threats coming from Russia and China.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said additional 10% import tariffs will take effect on February 1 on goods originating in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the United Kingdom.

According to the American president, the surcharge will increase to 25% on June 1 and will continue to rise until an agreement is reached for the “complete and total purchase of Greenland”.

The announcement was made on the same day that Greenlandic protesters took to the streets to protest against Trump. Leaders of Denmark and Greenland itself say the island is not for sale and does not want to be incorporated into the United States.

Trump’s threats led the European Union (EU) to call an emergency meeting this Sunday afternoon.

Greenland and Denmark registered protests against Trump on Saturday (17/01) | Tom Little/Reuters

Germany announces withdrawal of soldiers

Before being sanctioned by Trump, the countries hit by the tariffs announced the sending of a few soldiers to Greenland for training at the invitation of Denmark, which says it wants to increase NATO’s presence in the region.

The American president accused the Europeans of sending military personnel to the region for “unknown reasons” and said that this created a “very dangerous situation for the security and survival of our planet”.

This Sunday, after Trump threatened to impose tariffs, Germany announced the withdrawal of the 15 soldiers it sent to Greenland, and who had been there since Friday. According to an Army spokesperson, the group would leave the region on Sunday, after completing a preparatory mission for a military exercise.

Earlier, the head of the Arctic command, Søren Andersen, told the dpa news agency that the military exercise in Greenland would continue for many months.

“What we are currently doing is planning a long-term exercise, which will continue into 2026 and perhaps even 2027,” he declared, adding that foreign troops “are here to explore the possibilities of joint training,” and that the invitation would also extend to the US and all other NATO members.

Questions about the viability of tariffs

Trump’s latest move appears to be an attempt to force Denmark and other European countries to the negotiating table.

It is still unclear how the White House intends to tax just some EU members, given that the bloc is a unified economic zone in terms of trade, said a diplomat cited by the AP news agency on condition of anonymity.

Of the countries targeted by the American, only Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.

European leaders say they will maintain support for Denmark and Greenland

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council, António Costa, warned of the consequences of Trump’s decision.

“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and could trigger a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated and committed to defending its sovereignty,” the two said in social media posts.

For the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, the fight between the US and Europe only benefits Russia and China. “If Greenland’s security is at stake, we can address it in NATO. Tariffs risk leaving Europe and the US poorer and undermining our shared prosperity.”

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, stated that the American president’s move is unacceptable and that, if confirmed, Europe will respond in a coordinated manner.

“No intimidation or threat will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations,” Macron said on X.

Sources heard by dpa say that Macron should try to activate an EU anti-coercion instrument, which allows the bloc to retaliate if it is pressured by economic means to take certain political decisions.

French opposition MEP Jordan Bardella, president of the ultra-right National Rally, accused Trump of engaging in “commercial blackmail” and said the EU should respond by suspending the agreement it negotiated with Washington last year to exempt American exports from tariffs – an option floated by other MEPs.

“Blackmail” was a term also used by other politicians, such as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “We are not the ones seeking this conflict,” he told the Ritzau news agency this Sunday. “Europe cannot be blackmailed.”

“It’s blackmail what he’s doing […]and it is not necessary. Doesn’t help the alliance [Otan]and it doesn’t help Greenland either”, agreed Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel in a speech to a Dutch broadcaster.

According to Van Weel, the NATO mission in Greenland aimed to show the US that Europe is willing to defend the territory.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that “applying tariffs to allies for seeking the collective security of NATO members is completely misguided.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson declared that the country will not accept “intimidation”, while the Danish government stated that the announcement “was a surprise”. Germany only said that it “took note” of the situation and will discuss the next steps with allies.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who maintains good relations with Trump, said imposing new tariffs would be a “mistake”. “I spoke to Donald Trump a few hours ago and told him what I think,” he told reporters this Sunday.

Originally published by DW on 01/18/2026