What would Trump’s Greenland tariffs mean for Germany?

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose fresh tariffs on eight European countries that oppose his plan to buy Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. If the tariffs were introduced, how might they impact the German economy?

Trump threatens Greenland allies with new tariffs

Following Trump’s announcement that he plans to take control of Greenland “the easy way” or “the hard way”, soldiers from Denmark, Germany and 10 other European countries took part in a reconnaissance mission on the island over the weekend.

According to the German Federal Ministry of Defence, “Operation Arctic Endurance” intended to “support Denmark in exploring ways to ensure security in the region, for example, for maritime surveillance capabilities”.

In response, Trump has said that he will impose tariffs on eight European countries allied with Greenland until the island is sold to the US. Writing on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump vowed to introduce 10 percent import tariffs on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the United Kingdom from February 1, 2026.

According to Trump’s threat, the tariffs would increase to 25 percent from June 1, 2026, and would continue to increase unless European allies of Greenland agree to sell the island to the president. 

Leaders of the eight European countries have responded by emphasising "full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland", and warned that any attempt by the US to take Greenland using military force would lead to a NATO collapse.

Speaking to the BBC on Monday morning, UN head António Guterres said there was "clear conviction" in the White House that the US is so powerful that it need not obey international law.

How would Trump’s Greenland tariffs impact the German economy?

EU member states are already subject to a 15 percent tariff on exports to the US, so how would an additional round of tariffs impact the already ailing - but slowly improving - German economy?

According to the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) would result in additional and noticeable cuts of German exports to the US. “The slump in German exports to the US by almost 10 percent in 2025 would therefore only be the beginning,” DIHK foreign trade chief Volker Treier told the dpa.

“The costs of these additional tariffs would be enormous for German and European industry, especially in these already challenging times,” President of the Automobile Industry Association (VDA), Hildegard Müller, told ntv.

Müller warned that “Hasty decisions will lead to an escalation and a possible spiral that will only produce losers”, urged the EU to act in a “smart, strategic manner” and said there was “no doubt that the US must accept Greenland’s free will”. 

This week, as Trump heads to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the fate of his tariff regime hangs in the balance in Washington. The Supreme Court is set to decide on whether to constrain the president's powers to implement tariffs.

In Germany, further methods for responding to Trump’s threats are being discussed, among them a proposal to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to be held in 11 US cities over the summer.

Speaking to Bild, Jürgen Hardt (CDU) said Germany dropping out of the tournament would be a possibility, but would “only be considered as a last resort in order to get Trump to see sense on the Greenland issue". Sports Minister Christiane Schenderlein (CDU) said that the decision would ultimately be up to the German Football Association (DFB) and FIFA.