In a move described as a "wrecking ball" to recent trade agreements, former US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose fresh tariffs on eight European countries. The targets include the United Kingdom, Norway, and six European Union member states.
A Direct Challenge to European Unity
The threat, issued over the weekend, is widely seen as an attempt to fracture European solidarity and quash opposition to Trump's long-standing interest in acquiring Greenland. Analysts note the threat disregards a fundamental principle of EU trade policy: all international trade deals for member states are negotiated centrally through Brussels.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson delivered a swift and firm rebuttal, stating that "only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them." The European Council confirmed it is coordinating a joint response to what it views as an unstable and provocative action.
The Fragile State of Transatlantic Trade Deals
The threatened tariffs would strike at deals painstakingly agreed just last summer. The UK's arrangement, finalised in May, is a limited pact covering products like cars, beef, aerospace, ethanol, and steel, with a 10% tariff on other exports such as salmon. The EU's broader deal also includes a 25% tariff on steel and 50% on aluminium for member states.
Businesses are already absorbing existing 10% tariffs or passing costs to American consumers. A further increase would intensify the financial pressure on both sides of the Atlantic. This development comes amid sensitive ongoing negotiations to reduce the steep tariffs on steel, which stand at 25% for UK exports.
Greenland at the Heart of the Dispute
Experts link the targeted countries to those who have recently increased their defensive presence in Greenland. Mikkel Runge Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, told Sky News: "I think it is a reaction to the European troops going to Greenland, because if you look at the tariffs they match the countries who sent troops."
He interpreted the threat as a blunt negotiating tactic, asserting, "We are never going to see American troops on the ground in Greenland." The EU has consistently resisted linking trade to other policy areas, such as digital regulation, and is expected to firmly defend its sovereignty.
This episode underscores the volatile nature of dealing with the former president, who frequently uses tariffs as a political weapon. It leaves European leaders and businesses facing renewed uncertainty and the prospect of a costly trade dispute rooted in geopolitical ambition.
