Brussels is bracing for confrontation as US President Donald Trump escalates tensions over Greenland with threats of hefty import tariffs on multiple European nations. Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, has urgently called on the European Commission to activate the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument in response.
Trump’s bold move targets Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Netherlands, and Finland, slapping a 10% duty on all goods from these countries starting February 1. He links the punitive measure directly to the ongoing Greenland dispute, where the US has long eyed strategic control.
In a pointed LinkedIn post, Lange labeled Trump’s tactic as an unprecedented and perilous weaponization of trade policy. ‘It’s time to implement the Anti-Coercion Instrument and deliver a clear, firm response from the EU,’ he wrote, urging the Commission to launch proceedings without delay.
Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark’s kingdom, remains a flashpoint. While Copenhagen controls defense and foreign affairs, the US maintains a key military base there. Trump’s fixation dates back to his first term when he floated buying the island outright; now, he’s hinting at military options to secure it.
Lange slammed the tariffs as a blatant violation of the EU-US Trade and Tariffs Agreement struck in Scotland last July. He warned that business as usual is impossible, predicting a halt to ongoing work. The European Parliament plans fresh discussions with political groups next week to chart the path forward.
This standoff risks unraveling transatlantic trade ties at a fragile moment. As Lange put it starkly, ‘I can’t imagine continuing normally; we’ll likely suspend our work.’ The EU’s readiness to counter signals a new era of assertive defense against economic bullying.