US President Donald Trump has announced plans for a new series of import tariffs on several European nations, tying the measures to his objective of securing an agreement for the United States to buy Greenland.

On Saturday, 17 January, Trump stated in a social media post that a 10% tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain would take effect on 1 February, with rates rising to 25% on 1 June.

These countries are already subject to earlier tariffs introduced by his administration.

In coordinated statements posted on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa warned that the proposed tariffs would damage relations across the Atlantic and could lead to what they described as a “dangerous downward spiral.”

Officials from Norway, Sweden, France and Germany stated that tariff measures should not be linked to discussions concerning Greenland.

Analysts believe that Trump's tariff threat could also jeopardise preliminary agreements reached last year between the United States, the European Union and Great Britain, which included basic tariff arrangements of 15% on European imports and 10% on most British goods.

According to a report by Deutsche Welle, EU ambassadors met for an emergency session in Brussels, where it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron favoured activating the EU’s “anti‑coercion instrument” if the tariffs proceed.

This mechanism enables the European Commission to introduce countermeasures, including retaliatory tariffs, export controls, restrictions on intellectual property and investment, and potential limits on access to the EU single market.