US President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new tariffs on several European countries, linking the measures to his long-standing demand for the United States to take control of Greenland.
The move has triggered diplomatic tension across Europe and sparked protests in both Denmark and Greenland.
In a statement released on Friday, Trump said the tariffs would take effect from February 1, applying to “any and all goods” imported into the United States from selected European nations.
He warned that the levies would sharply increase later in the year if no agreement is reached.
The announcement comes amid renewed focus on Greenland’s strategic importance, rising Arctic military activity, and growing opposition from European governments and Greenlandic citizens to any suggestion the island is for sale.
What President Trump is saying
Trump said the US would impose 10 per cent tariffs on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland, rising to 25 per cent from June 1 if demands are unmet.
“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He accused Denmark and other European nations of benefiting unfairly from decades of low-tariff access to the US market.
“We have subsidised Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them Tariffs or any other forms of remuneration,” he said.
“Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back. World Peace is at stake!”
Trump also claimed that Greenland faces external threats, asserting that China and Russia are eyeing the island and questioning Denmark’s ability to defend it.
“They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently,” he wrote, adding that “Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that.”
What you should know
- Greenland, the world’s largest island, is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
- While it governs its internal affairs, Denmark controls its foreign and defence policy.
- Trump first floated the idea of buying Greenland during his first term, a proposal that was swiftly rejected by Danish and Greenlandic leaders and widely criticised internationally.
- Last week, Trump said he was imposing a 25% tariff on goods from countries that continue to do business with Iran, escalating economic pressure on Tehran amid weeks of widespread protests.
