French President Emmanuel Macron is leading a push for the European Union to deploy its strongest trade weapon, the anti-coercion instrument, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariffs on eight European nations. The 10% tariff, set to take effect on February 1, targets Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland. Trump linked the tariffs to a demand for the "Complete and Total purchase of Greenland," threatening to raise the rate to 25% in June if no deal is made.
The declaration has thrown existing trade agreements between Washington and Brussels into serious doubt. A person close to Macron confirmed the French president would formally request activation of the anti-coercion tool, which has never been used since its creation. Macron had previously considered using the instrument last year but backed down during protracted talks.
The European Council has scheduled an emergency summit for later this week to build a unified response. One major option under consideration is a €93 billion ($108 billion) retaliation package that was approved last year but paused when Trump agreed to a trade pact. EU lawmakers now say they will not move forward with ratifying that pact while the tariffs are in place.
Public and political pressure is mounting across Europe. Protests erupted in Denmark over the weekend, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition urged the European Commission to develop "concrete countermeasures." European Council President Antonio Costa stated online that the bloc stands fully behind Denmark and Greenland, asserting that Trump's tariffs violate the EU-US trade agreement.
In the US, the move has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle. Senators have urged Trump to "turn off the threats and turn on diplomacy," while trade analyst Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute remarked, "This isn't Iran we're talking about, it's Denmark. This move will anger a lot of folks."
