 "'US has a lot to lose': France minister warns Trump’s Greenland tariffs could backfire")
French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard on Sunday warned that the United States would also suffer from President Donald Trump’s decision to impose fresh tariffs on European countries over their refusal to back his push to “purchase” Greenland.
Speaking after Trump announced tariffs on eight European nations, Genevard said the escalation could harm American farmers and industries as much as Europe, cautioning that trade retaliation must be handled carefully.
“In this escalation of tariffs, he has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists,” Genevard was quoted as saying by AFP, adding that Europeans would not allow the United States to “do as it pleases”.
EU urges caution amid tariff escalation
Genevard said that while the European Union has strong commercial leverage, the situation required restraint, warning that further escalation could be “deadly”.
“But it could also be deadly for the United States,” she said, stressing that any attempt by Washington to take over or purchase Greenland would be “unacceptable”.
Trump announces tariffs over Greenland dispute
On Saturday, Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, effective February 1. He said the tariff rate would rise to 25 percent from June 1, 2026.
“All tariffs will remain in place until a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, arguing that the US “needs” the Arctic island — an autonomous Danish territory — for national security reasons.
NATO deployment cited as trigger
Trump said the tariffs were imposed after these countries “journeyed” to Greenland, referring to the deployment of military personnel as part of a NATO exercise called Arctic Endurance. The exercise followed prolonged tensions between Washington and Copenhagen over Greenland’s strategic importance and mineral resources.
The United Kingdom and Norway, while not members of the European Union, were also included in the tariff list.
EU diplomats meet in Brussels
Following Trump’s announcement, European Union ambassadors held an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday afternoon to discuss the situation.
Trump said Washington remained open to negotiations with Denmark and the other affected countries.
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View All“The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades,” he wrote.
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