Trump Threatens Europeans With More Tariffs Over Greenland

Jan. 20, 2026
By: Ashley J. Bodden

On January 17^th, President Trump threatened on his social media feed that he would impose a 10% tariff on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland starting on February 1, 2026, and rising to 25 percent on June 1 unless a deal is reached for the “complete and total purchase” of Greenland by the United States.

This threat is in line with his periodic focus on Greenland and claims that Greenland is strategically vital and has suggested the United States should own it. It is not clear how this assertion squares with the 1951 agreement between Denmark and the United States that allows U.S. military facilities in Greenland. Readers of a certain age will remember that Richie Cunningham was stationed in Greenland with the U.S. Army after college. Nevertheless, Trump has characterized the U.S. relationship with the EU countries as being “subsidized” by a lack of tariffs and his demand for Greenland as redress for that “subsidy.”

The threat of tariffs was presented as leverage, as Trump stated in his post that the United States is open to negotiate with Denmark and/or other European countries. It should also be noted that IEEPA is the most likely means by which such tariffs would be imposed (and probably the only means by February 1) and those are currently under Supreme Court review. It also isn’t clear whether the duties would be in addition to or in place of the current trade deals the United States has with each of those countries.

We will be watching closely for further updates. In the meantime, if your company would like to review the possible impact of the additional tariffs on your goods or analyze alternative sourcing options, please reach out to one of our attorneys at Barnes, Richardson & Colburn.