Trump’s Greenland-linked tariffs prompt EU to weigh countermeasures

An emergency meeting of the European Union’s 27 ambassadors concluded in Brussels on 18 January, 2026, amid escalating tensions with the United States following President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat.

The meeting, which began at 11:00 a.m. ET and ended at 2:30 p.m. ET, focused on the proposed 10% tariffs Trump intends to impose on eight EU member states. These tariffs are linked to opposition from these countries to a renewed US effort to assert strategic control over Greenland.

According to CNN, an EU diplomat confirmed that the European Commission is expected to issue a public update on the situation on Monday.

European Council President Antonio Costa announced that an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders will be held later in the week in Brussels. Costa stated that after consultations with all member states, leaders had agreed that Trump’s tariff proposal threatens to undermine transatlantic relations.

“We remain committed to engaging constructively with the US,” Costa posted on X (formerly Twitter), “but we are equally prepared to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.”

The proposed tariffs are expected to be formally implemented by the US on 1 February, 2026. The European Union is now actively considering possible countermeasures.

According to people familiar with the internal discussions, one option under consideration is reinstating retaliatory levies on €93 billion (US$108 billion) worth of US goods. These tariffs were previously approved but suspended after a 2024 EU-US trade agreement was reached.

In light of the current dispute, EU lawmakers have signalled over the weekend that they may delay ratification of that trade pact.

The Financial Times has reported on renewed discussions around reviving the suspended tariffs as part of the EU’s toolkit for response.

Another option under debate is the potential activation of the EU’s anti-coercion instrument. This legal mechanism, which allows the bloc to respond to economic intimidation from third countries, has never been used.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged EU leaders to consider deploying the anti-coercion instrument in response to Washington’s latest move. However, past attempts to activate the measure were abandoned due to fears of escalation. France itself previously backed down after threats of further US retaliation.

While the instrument is under discussion, Brussels-based observers, including DW correspondent Jack Parrock, suggest it is unlikely the EU will move to implement it immediately.

“They want to wield the threat,” Parrock reported, “but they certainly won’t take it off the table.”

Cyprus, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, convened Sunday’s emergency meeting of ambassadors. The session took place behind closed doors and ended without a press conference.

No official decision has yet been made on which trade or diplomatic responses the EU will pursue. However, sources suggest the objective of this week’s extraordinary summit of EU leaders will be to establish a unified stance and finalise a list of actionable options.

Following the meeting, Costa reaffirmed that the EU remains united in its support of Greenland and Denmark. He described Trump’s tariff threat as “incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement.”

The emerging crisis underscores renewed strain in the transatlantic relationship and places Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, at the centre of a geopolitical dispute.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has targeted Greenland. In 2019, the former president publicly floated the idea of purchasing the island, a move Denmark rejected as absurd. The latest tension appears to have reignited that controversy, now with economic leverage in the form of tariffs.