President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to American control of Greenland.
Trump said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face the tariff and that it would climb to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
The threat of tariffs was a drastic and potentially dangerous escalation of a showdown between Trump and NATO allies, further straining an alliance that dates to 1949 and provides a collective degree of security to Europe and North America. The Republican president has repeatedly tried to use trade penalties to bend allies and rivals alike to his will, generating investment commitments from some nations and pushback from others such as China, Brazil and India.
It was unclear how Trump could impose the tariffs under U.S. law, though he could cite economic emergency powers that are currently subject to a U.S. Supreme Court challenge.
Trump said in his Truth Social post that his tariffs were retaliation for recent trips to Greenland by representatives from Britain, the Netherlands and Finland and for general opposition to his efforts to purchase the semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. He has Greenland is essential for the “Golden Dome” missile defense system for the U.S., and has argued that Russia and China might try to take over the island.
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
