The European Union is facing pressure to activate the “Anti-Coercion Instrument” in response to U. S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats against several European countries regarding Greenland. Trump announced on Saturday that he would impose increasing tariffs on Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Britain, and Norway if the U. S. is not allowed to buy Greenland. These countries are already facing tariffs of 10% and 15% due to their military presence in Greenland.
An emergency meeting of EU ambassadors was called by Cyprus, which holds the rotating EU presidency. French President Emmanuel Macron is working on a coordinated European response and is advocating for the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could restrict U. S. access to EU public contracts or trade in profitable services. Some EU diplomats, however, believe that escalating the situation is not advisable.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is more aligned with Trump than other EU leaders, criticized the tariff threats as a “mistake” and mentioned she had communicated her views to Trump. Italy has not deployed troops to Greenland.
Regarding Britain’s response to the tariffs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated that allies should collaborate to resolve the issue, asserting that Britain’s position on Greenland is “non-negotiable. ” The tariff threats could affect trade agreements previously established with the U. S. The European Parliament might suspend the ratification of the EU-U. S. trade deal, which was set to remove various import duties next January. Meanwhile, the EU has signed a significant free trade agreement with Mercosur, emphasizing a preference for fair trade over tariffs.
With information from Reuters
