US president says 10 % tariffs to be imposed on eight nations over opposition to US management of semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Printed On 17 Jan 2026
President Donald Trump has mentioned various European allies will probably be hit with a sequence of accelerating tariffs for opposing United States management of Greenland, as he escalates his marketing campaign to amass the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
In a submit on Fact Social on Saturday, Trump mentioned 10 % tariffs would come into impact on February 1 on Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK.
He added these tariffs would rise to 25 % on June 1 and would proceed till an settlement is reached for the US to purchase Greenland.
There was no rapid response by the European nations.
Trump’s announcement got here as 1000’s of individuals rallied in cities throughout Denmark to reject the Republican’s repeated threats to take management of Greenland.
Within the capital, Copenhagen, protesters waved the flags of Denmark and Copenhagen and chanted slogans comparable to “Kalaallit Nunaat” – the Arctic island’s identify in Greenlandic.
The protests happened hours after a bipartisan US congressional delegation in Copenhagen sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of their assist.
“I hope that the folks of the Kingdom of Denmark don’t abandon their religion within the American folks,” mentioned Senator Chris Coons, including that the US has respect for Denmark and NATO “for all we’ve executed collectively.”
Since returning to the White Home in January, Trump has insisted for months that the US ought to management Greenland. Earlier this week, he mentioned that something lower than the Arctic island being in US palms could be “unacceptable.”
In line with the newest ballot revealed in January of final 12 months, 85 % of Greenlanders oppose the territory becoming a member of the US, whereas solely 6 % had been in favour.
Whereas Greenland and Denmark have rejected the concept of the island being “owned” by the US, efforts to get the US administration to alter its stance have to date appeared to fail.
The overseas ministers of Denmark and Greenland left a gathering with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, this week, saying that they “didn’t handle to alter the American place”.
“It’s clear that the president has this want of conquering over Greenland,” Danish Overseas Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters.
