The American president, Donald Trump, announced that he will impose a 10% customs duty on the eight European states that have sent troops to Greenland, as part of an exercise to consolidate the autonomous territory of Denmark. As a result of the announcement made by the White House leader, the ambassadors of the 27 EU member states are convening an emergency meeting on Sunday to establish response measures, reports IPN.
The announced taxes target Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, countries that this week have sent troops to Greenland to participate in joint exercises coordinated by Copenhagen. The action was organized in response to the intention of the US administration to take control over the Arctic island.
According to the leader of the White House, customs duties will come into effect on February 1 and will be increased to 25% starting from June.
In the meantime, the Presidents of the Council and the European Commission, António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, have warned that customs duties could undermine transatlantic relations and risk triggering a dangerous downward spiral. Officials emphasized that the military exercise, conducted together with allies, aims to strengthen security in the Arctic and does not represent a threat to anyone.
At the same time, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, stated that tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. According to him, Europe will respond in a united and coordinated manner if these threats are confirmed, in order to ensure the respect of European sovereignty.
