Trump announces plan to put tariffs on UK and other European countries over Greenland

Donald Trump has slapped a new set of tariffs on the UK and Europe as the row over Greenland continues.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has made no secret of his ambition to turn Greenland, currently an autonomous territory of Denmark, into the 51st US state, a position which has not gone down very well with European leaders.

Trump insists the acquisition of Greenland is crucial to the future of US security and has refused to rule out a military occupation, vowing to take the island 'the easy way' or 'the hard way'.

In his latest attempt to exert dominion over the territory, Trump announced yesterday that the UK, as well as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland would be slapped with a 10 per cent tariff increase unless they agreed to the sale of Greenland to the US.

The tariffs will come into effect on February 1 and will rise to 25 per cent unless a deal is made.

He really, really wants Greenland (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

Confirming the plans on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "We have subsidised Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them tariffs, or any other forms of remuneration.

"Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back — World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it."

He went on to reference the decision for several NATO countries to station troops on Greenland as 'a very dangerous situation for the safety, security, and survival of our planet'.

"These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question," he added.

This isn't the first time Trump has attempted to enforce diplomacy via tariffs, with the 79-year-old previously unveiling his 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April 2025, which culminated in the US entering into a brief trade war with China.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as the leaders of opposition parties, are united in their condemnation of the tariffs Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

How will the new tariffs impact the UK?

Tariffs are charges that governments place on imported goods, in this case, goods imported to the US from the UK.

The tariffs work as an additional tax against the value of an exported item, for example, a 10 per cent tariff on an item costing £10 would mean it now costs £11.

This means the cost of UK-imported goods will now be more expensive (and therefore less appealing) to US customers. According to The Times, Britain's biggest exports to the US are cars, followed by pharmaceuticals and steel.

With tariffs now at 35 per cent, following the initial 25 per cent US-UK trade deal, manufacturers will have to either raise their prices or cease to export goods to the US.

Why is Donald Trump insisting on the takeover of Greenland?

Trump's main justification for annexing Greenland is national security, with the president claiming that 'China and Russia' are making inroads into the Arctic and may even seize the country themselves.

There is also the fact that Greenland is rich in resources and rare earth minerals, which will become easier to extract as the massive ice sheet blanketing the island continues to melt.

The people of Greenland are overwhelmingly against a US takeover (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

What has the reaction to Trump's tariffs been?

The decision to slap additional tariffs on the UK has been unilaterally unpopular, with the leaders of all the main UK political parties releasing statements condemning the move.

"Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration," read a statement from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the move as 'yet another burden for businesses'.

"The sovereignty of Greenland should only be decided by the people of Greenland," she added. "On this, I agree with Keir Starmer."

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said that 'Starmer's US policy lies in tatters' as Trump is now 'now punishing the UK and Nato allies just for doing the right thing'.