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EU scrambles to avert Trump Greenland tariffs, prepares retaliation

52 0
19.01.2026

BRUSSELS (Reuters) — European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said.

Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major EU states decried as blackmail.

EU leaders are set to discuss options at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday. One option is a package of tariffs on 93 billion euros ($107.7 billion) of US imports that could automatically kick in on February 6 after a six-month suspension.

The other is the so far never used “Anti-Coercion Instrument” (ACI), which could limit access to public tenders, investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the US has a surplus with the bloc, including in digital services.

The tariff package appeared to command broader support as a first response than anti-coercion measures, where the picture was currently “very mixed,” according to an EU source.

European Council President Antonio Costa, who chairs EU summits, said in a social media post that his consultations with EU members had shown their strong commitment to support Denmark and Greenland and readiness to defend against any form of coercion.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen,........

© The Times of Israel