Trump Announces Tariffs on Denmark and Seven Other European Countries Until a Deal Is Reached for the U.S. Purchase of Greenland
On January 17, 2026, President Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social platform that, starting February 1, the United States would charge a 10% tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, and that on June 1 the tariff would increase to 25%. He wrote that the tariff would be due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland by the United States.
In the post, Trump said the United States had subsidized Denmark and the countries of the European Union for many years by not charging them tariffs, and that it was time for Denmark to give back. He said China and Russia want Greenland and that Denmark can do nothing about it, and that world peace is at stake. He also said the eight countries had journeyed to Greenland for purposes unknown, creating a dangerous situation for the safety, security and survival of the planet. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which retains responsibility for its defense and foreign policy.
The announcement followed the arrival in Greenland of troops from several European countries for a Danish-led Arctic military exercise. Trump had repeatedly said the United States needs Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral resources; Denmark and Greenland's authorities had repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale.
European leaders responded the same day. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the use of tariffs against allies wrong and said London would pursue the matter directly with Washington. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc's members would meet the pressure as a united front. In Washington, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would introduce legislation to block tariffs against countries opposing a U.S. takeover of Greenland.
Related: At Davos, Trump Seeks Immediate Negotiations on Greenland and Says He Will Not Use Force
Source: The White House
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：格陵兰首府努克（Nuuk）航拍全景（资料照片）。Quintin Soloviev 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Aerial view of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland (file photo). Photo by Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
