President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries, accusing them of opposing American control of Greenland.
In a social media post posted while he was at a golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said the countries facing the tariff were Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. He said the rate would climb to 25% on June 1 if no deal was in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
Trump’s remarks were described as leverage intended to force talks with Denmark and other European countries over the status of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that Trump regards as critical to U.S. national security. Trump said the U.S. was “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,” according to his post on Truth Social.
European leaders warned that the tariff threat could complicate relationships with longstanding NATO partners. The report said the alliance dates to 1949 and provides security to Europe and North America, while Trump has repeatedly sought to use trade penalties to pressure allies and rivals.
Denmark’s top diplomat, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, called the move a “surprise” given the “constructive meeting” with top U.S. officials this week in Washington. In a joint statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa said tariffs “would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” adding that Europe would remain committed to upholding its sovereignty.
Questions also remained about how the tariffs could be implemented in practice because the European Union functions as a single economic zone for trading, according to a European diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. The diplomat said it was also unclear how Trump could act under U.S. law, though the White House could cite emergency economic powers that are currently subject to a U.S. Supreme Court challenge.
The tariff threat came as Greenland residents and supporters signaled opposition to any sale. Earlier Saturday, hundreds of people marched in Nuuk in support of self-governance, and thousands rallied in Copenhagen with Greenland flags and signs including “Hands Off.” Danish protester Elise Riechie told AP, “This is important for the whole world,” and, “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”
The report also said the rallies came hours after a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers visited Copenhagen to reassure Denmark and Greenland of U.S. support. Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, leader of the Joint Arctic Command, told AP Denmark does not expect the U.S. to attack Greenland or any other NATO ally and said European troops were deployed to Nuuk for Arctic defense training. From aboard a Danish military vessel docked in Nuuk, Andersen said, “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,” and added, “For us, for me, it’s not about signaling. It is actually about training military units, working together with allies.” He also said that in the unlikely event American troops used force on Danish soil, Danish soldiers have an obligation to fight back.
Trump has long argued that the U.S. should own Greenland, which he has described as strategically located and rich in minerals, with defense provided by Denmark. Greenland has a population of about 57,000. The U.S. military already has access to the territory under a 1951 defense agreement, and Denmark’s foreign minister previously described a drawdown from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations after World War II to about 200 personnel at the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.
Resistance in Europe to Trump’s ambitions continued beyond Greenland. The report said French President Emmanuel Macron likened the tariff threat to Russia’s war in Ukraine and said, “No intimidation or threats will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations,” in a translated post on X. In Washington, Rep. Don Bacon said Congress must reclaim tariff authorities so they are not used solely at a president’s discretion.
Sen. Chris Coons said during a visit to Copenhagen that there is “almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” and warned that if U.S. actions lead Danes to question alliance commitments, “why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”