European Union officials and lawmakers are calling for the first ever use of the bloc’s Anti Coercion Instrument in response to new tariff threats by United States President Donald Trump over Greenland. Trump has vowed escalating tariffs on Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Britain and Norway until Washington is allowed to buy Greenland.
The affected countries already face US tariffs of 10 and 15 percent and have each sent small contingents of military personnel to Greenland. Cyprus, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has summoned EU ambassadors to an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss the response.
A source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said he is working to coordinate a common European strategy and supports activating the Anti Coercion Instrument. The tool could restrict US access to public tenders in the EU or limit trade in services where America has a surplus.
Leading members of the European Parliament, including German Social Democrat Bernd Lange and Renew Europe leader Valerie Hayer, have publicly backed using the new instrument. Germany’s engineering lobby has also urged a firm response.
However, some EU diplomats argue that the moment is not right to escalate tensions. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has a closer relationship with Trump than many EU leaders, called the tariff threat a mistake but said she had spoken to him and would consult other European leaders.
Britain, which is no longer an EU member but is directly targeted by the tariffs, signalled it would stand firm on Greenland’s status while seeking dialogue. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Britain’s position on Greenland is non negotiable but stressed the need to avoid a war of words and work with allies to resolve the dispute.
The row has cast doubt over recent trade deals the US concluded with Britain and the European Union in 2025. Those limited pacts had already been criticised as unbalanced because the US kept many tariffs in place while its partners removed duties.
The European Parliament had been preparing to vote this month on removing many EU import duties under the July EU US agreement. But Manfred Weber, head of the centre right European People’s Party group, said approval is now not possible and the assembly is expected to suspend its work on the deal.
Trump’s tariff threat came as the EU was signing its largest ever free trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur in Paraguay. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that pact shows the EU chooses fair trade and long term partnerships over tariffs and isolation.
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