President Donald Trump said he will impose tariffs of up to 25% on eight European countries until a deal is reached for the U.S. to purchase Greenland.
In a Saturday Truth Social post, Trump said he will slap a 10% tariff on “any and all goods” from six European Union nations (Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland), as well as the U.K. and Norway, starting on Feb. 1, raising the levy to 25% on June 1.
"This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland," the president said, although no official documentation implementing the levies has been released.
Trump added the U.S. remained open to negotiations with Denmark and any of the other nations while accusing them of playing "a very dangerous game" by sending personnel to Greenland amid his push to annex the territory.
The threat over Greenland builds on a recent streak of tariff announcements made on Truth Social, tied to the United States’ geopolitical goals. Last week, Trump also said he would immediately install a 25% tariff on Iran’s trading partners — a list that includes China, India and Turkey — as a penalty for doing business with the country. However, no official documentation has been published to enact the levies on either Iran or Greenland.
“The newest threat of additional tariffs isn't real until we see an executive order and a federal register notice,” Pete Mento, director of global trade advisory services at Baker Tilly, said in a LinkedIn post Saturday.
Since early 2025, Trump has rolled out an extensive series of country-specific reciprocal tariffs and sector-based levies. Along the way, he has struck agreements and framework deals with several major trading partners, including the European Union and the U.K. Trump did not provide details about how the additional duties would interact with those pacts.
Per a deal formalized in August, the U.S. committed to apply the higher of the most-favored-nation tariff or a combined rate of 15%, comprising the MFN tariff and a reciprocal tariff, on many imports from the European Union. Norway, which is not an EU member, also faces a 15% reciprocal levy.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X Saturday.
Meanwhile, the United States and the U.K reached a deal last June focused on tariffs and market access, including preferential treatment for certain U.K. autos, metals and agricultural products.
“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X Saturday. “We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”
In justifying the duties, Trump claimed, without offering evidence, that the national security of the U.S. and the world was at stake because China and Russia are also seeking to acquire Greenland. He argued that Denmark is incapable of defending the autonomous territory within its kingdom.
Trump said acquiring Greenland was necessary for the U.S. to build its proposed “Golden Dome,” a conceptual missile defense shield that Trump said would protect the entire nation and possibly Canada. Trump has repeatedly said Greenland is key terrain for U.S. national security.
"Now, because of The Golden Dome, and Modern Day Weapons Systems, both Offensive and Defensive, the need to ACQUIRE is especially important," Trump said.
Phil Neuffer contributed to this story.
