U.S.President Donald Trump arrives at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, in Michigan, U.S., January 13, 2026.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

Eight NATO members' goods sent to the U.S. will face escalating tariffs "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland," President Donald Trump announced Saturday.

The tariffs targeting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will start at 10% on Feb. 1, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

The tariffs will shoot up to 25% on June 1, the president said.

His post suggested that the new tariffs on the European allies were being imposed in response to them moving troops to Greenland. They took that step as the Trump administration has floated utilizing the U.S. military as part of its ramped-up efforts to acquire the Danish territory.

The eight countries "have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown," Trump wrote. "This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet."

A day earlier, Trump hinted that he may pursue a tariff strategy on Greenland similar to the one he used to force foreign countries to change their drug prices.

"I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security," he said at the White House on Friday.

Trump's latest move puts further strain on NATO, the 32-member military alliance established in the aftermath of World War II. The cornerstone of the alliance is an agreement that an attack on any single member is considered an attack on them all.

European leaders have warned that any attempt by the U.S. to take Greenland by force could spell the end of NATO.

A protester takes part in a demonstration to show support for Greenland in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 17, 2026.

Tom Little | Reuters

Trump's tariff announcement could mean he is dropping the threat of using the military to achieve his longtime goal of taking over the island. But it nevertheless ratchets up pressure on Denmark and the rest of Europe, which have flatly stated that Greenland is not for sale.

Trump is an enthusiastic fan of using tariffs as a tool for gaining political leverage over other countries. He has greatly expanded the government's use of the levies over the past year, in large part through the unusual invocation of a law granting the president some powers in an economic emergency.

The Supreme Court could rule as soon as next week on whether to strike down the tariffs imposed under that law.

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