Trump warns of tariffs up to 25% on 8 European countries if Greenland isn’t sold

Eight NATO countries’ exports to the United States will be hit with escalating tariffs “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” President Donald Trump said Saturday.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the measures will apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, starting at 10% on Feb. 1.

The tariffs will rise to 25% on June 1, he added.

These duties would likely be imposed on top of existing U.S. tariffs already applied to goods from the affected countries.

Currently, U.S. tariffs on allies average about 15% on imports from European Union countries targeted by Trump and around 10% on goods from the United Kingdom, with rates differing by sector.

In sensitive sectors such as metals and certain automobiles, layered measures have already driven effective tariff rates into the mid-teens to mid-20% range.

Because the European Union consists of 27 member states, tariffs imposed on any one or more EU countries would effectively apply across the bloc. Trump’s demands now put at risk the EU-U.S. trade agreement reached in August.

Manfred Weber, a senior member of the European Parliament, said the EU-U.S. trade deal is “not possible at this stage.”

“The EPP is in favour of the EU-U.S. trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” Weber wrote on X. “The 0% tariffs on U.S. products must be put on hold.”

EU ambassadors will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, Reuters reported. The meeting was called by Cyprus, which currently holds the EU’s rotating six-month presidency, and is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET).