Overview
- President Trump announced on Jan. 17 that a 10% levy will start Feb. 1 and rise to 25% on June 1, remaining in place until a Greenland purchase agreement is concluded.
- The measures apply to all imports from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland.
- Trump reiterated that China and Russia drive U.S. urgency on Arctic security and criticized recent European troop movements to Greenland as a "dangerous game."
- Germany, France and other European states have dispatched small contingents to Greenland to assess potential NATO exercises and to signal coordinated Arctic defense, with some units arriving by Jan. 15–16.
- After Jan. 14 talks, the U.S., Denmark and Greenland agreed to a working group whose mandate is disputed—Washington describes acquisition-related technical talks, while Copenhagen says it is about Arctic security—and protests against U.S. plans were held in Nuuk and in Denmark on Jan. 17.