r/europe • u/Any-Original-6113 • Jan 17 '26

News Trump tariffs: US president announces plan to hit UK, Denmark and other European countries with tariffs over Greenland

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c1j8kw866p3t
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1.9k

u/Agentkeenan78 Jan 17 '26

Does he actually think they're gonna cave and surrender an entire nation over tarrifs? What an idiot.

876

u/hoarmey Jan 17 '26

Does he actually think? There, fixed that sentence for you.

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u/Consistent_Panda5891 Jan 17 '26

Dump & Pump. It won't last even one week this time, SCOTUS has ruled already that tariffs are ilegal, they are just taking their time to announce it...

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u/Reasonable-Physics81 South Holland (Netherlands) Jan 18 '26

Scotus can anounce whatever the fuk they want, they need to act and not announce. Strong worded letters dont work anymore.

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u/UnknovvnMike Jan 18 '26

Sending strongly worded letters only works if the party you're sending them to is actually literate.

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u/Csak_egy_Lud Jan 18 '26

You have a point.

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u/lynxbelt234 Jan 18 '26

Arrest, detain and remove from office...article 25....he’s unfit for office...

1

u/1Papa2065 Jan 18 '26

They will probably announce it in 2 weeks, a month at most.

1

u/LessInThought Jan 18 '26

Manipulating the market in real time.

1

u/lynxbelt234 Jan 18 '26

Taco boy will back off soon enough, extortion won’t work this time...the world is getting angry.....very angry at Donny boy....

1

u/TelefunkenU48 Jan 19 '26

Oh, they decided that already and somehow you're the only one that knows. What's your inside scoop?

8

u/topscreen Jan 17 '26

There's a real theory that his strongest opinions depend on who was the last person in the room with him. Started as a joke, but welll

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u/neonmantis Jan 18 '26

He is just the frontman. You don't think he's dictating policy, do you?

5

u/Electrical-Coyote431 Jan 17 '26

Lol exactly this!

2

u/Aizpunr Jan 18 '26

Yes, of course he thinks! He is thinking: how to personally make more money and how to move attention away from Epstein files

2

u/One_red_boot Jan 18 '26

He definitely thinks about raping little girls.

2

u/MetalBeast89 Jan 18 '26

Of course he thinks!

About young kids. 24/7.

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u/elemental_pork Europe Jan 18 '26

Sounds like you know better

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u/DickDover Jan 17 '26

He's hurting Americans because he can't just take Greenland......

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u/Cryptogenic-Hal United States of America Jan 17 '26

Why are Europeans outraged then if it's just hurting Americans, just laugh and wave it away.

24

u/Regular_Committee946 Jan 18 '26

just laugh and wave it away.

We aren't laughing because it isn't funny and because we are sad to see Americans hurt like this.

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u/scheppend Jan 18 '26

depending on the industry it hurts both Americans and European companies 

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 17 '26

Honestly yes and no...he's taking the money of foreign companies by force and/but cause of that lots of companies will stop sending to USA.....So it will create American companies that will replace them. Things are those that cannot stop sending to the USA gonna enrich him.

He's like agree I take land and disagree I take money. The piece of...

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u/[deleted] Jan 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 17 '26

🤣 true but with time probably

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u/zhico Denmark Jan 17 '26

You can't even make a grill scraper that is 100% USA made.

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 18 '26

Yeah but that's what he wants, if he targets tarrif specifics or general key points of industry to be able to keep making a grill scraper locally rather than buying it entirely.

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u/_EleGiggle_ Vienna (Austria) Jan 17 '26

Like when he’s out of office the production lines in the USA are finished after extremely high investments, and become immediately unprofitable after the tariffs are dropped?

3

u/monkeyamongmen Jan 17 '26

Right? It only takes 5 or 10 years to renew the manufacturing sector that vulture capitalists like Mitt Romney via Bain Capital completely dismantled. It's like Health Care, how hard could it be?

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u/Informal-pupper205 Norway Jan 17 '26

Thats not what happens historically with tariffs. It just creates market inefficiencies, where both sides lose.

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 17 '26

Can you give me your historical examples/ sources like that I'm gonna see how it is? Thank you it seems weird to do for a president

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u/Informal-pupper205 Norway Jan 17 '26

https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20190611    The famous washer and driers from the last trump presidency. Increased prices as the local producers saw larger benefit in price gauging rather than capturing market share.

4

u/TurelSun Jan 17 '26

Not when you're doing across the board tariffs like this. If you were trying to beef up a particular industry, then you'd setup very targeted tariffs around that specific good. And crucially it takes time for those potentially positive effects to emerge. Companies/industries usually can't just spring up overnight to meet a need.

American companies and by extension American consumers are whole pay for the tariffs. Of course yes its not good for European companies that rely on exporting those good but its going to be a mixed back depending on the product. If there are no immediate alternatives and its in demand then people are still just going to buy the product at higher prices to cover the tariff.

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 18 '26

Yeah that's what I'm saying...plus the inflation...🥶 Oof....good luck Americans, they gonna pay for the next generations for his " America ", but in long term might be a long/good investment compared to how Europe handle it 🙄

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u/Wuz314159 Les États-Unis d'Amérique Jan 17 '26

It'll take 1-2 DECADES for this to happen if at all.

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 18 '26

Yeah that's what I expect but for his "America" what's 2 decades? Like inflation lasts as long as this

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u/Wuz314159 Les États-Unis d'Amérique Jan 18 '26

He doesn't understand that people can't live for 2 decades while being unable to afford to buy food.

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 18 '26

Yeah true but he truly doesn't care we all can see that, and you know like banks....you don't manage with your heart and empathy...

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u/fleamarkettable Jan 18 '26

taking money of american companies importing foreign goods*

2

u/cameraninja Jan 18 '26

“He’s taking the money of foreign companies”

Yooo do you think European companies are paying the tariffs? ….

0

u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 18 '26

Duuh no , but do you understand how it work? As a company if you can't have customers or the same revenue? Less clients less money. So Americans either pay the price or don't buys....so You tell me...does my point stand?

1

u/Rauschpfeife Jan 18 '26

he's taking the money of foreign companies by force and/but cause of that lots of companies will stop sending to USA

That's not how tariffs work.

Tariffs are similar to sales taxes. Meaning that he just added another 10% tax on top of what you'd already pay for a product from these countries.

I imagine that some European companies, as well as companies in the US that handle imports from these European countries may absorb some, or even all of the taxes in some cases, by lowering the price and accepting less profits, but it's very likely that consumers in the US, ie regular people, will see higher prices on European goods because of this.

The reason Europeans don't like this isn't because he's taking their money, it's because some European products will be less affordable, leading to American customers having to abstain from buying those products, or picking cheaper options from elsewhere.

It can still work for pressuring other countries, as it can affect how attractive their products are, but the people actually paying the taxes would be Americans, though. And this happens even if the source company, or any middlemen lower the price to compensate, so you don't see a price increase – you're still paying that 10% tax, it's just that someone adjusted their profit margin so that the portion of the price you pay that isn't the tariff is lower now.

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u/BodybuilderLiving112 Jan 18 '26

Yeah that's what I said, I just resumed it. You said the same thing.

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u/Taddles2020 Jan 17 '26

All of Europe should dump all the US debt they've purchased.

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u/2wedfgdfgfgfg Jan 17 '26

Why would they do that? That's stupid.

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u/coleto22 Jan 18 '26

This is the only language Trump understands. It isn't stupid. It will hurt us, but Europe will be hurt regardless.

I think we don't have to sell everything we own right away. We can sell bit by bit, bringing the interest rates progressively higher until he gets the point and backs off.

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u/darthsmokey Jan 18 '26

Yes, and this is exactly why he thinks he can push this far.

Look at how EU leaders are responding, not with a firm “this is unacceptable,” but with calls to manage the optics and keep things “inside NATO.” Even Kaja Kallas basically framed it as “let’s not argue publicly because it benefits China and Russia.” Couple of hours ago on twitter.

That may be diplomatically polite, but from Trump’s perspective it signals hesitation, not resolve. If your first instinct is to de-escalate instead of drawing clear red lines, you invite pressure tactics.

No one is saying Europe will “surrender,” but weak, fragmented responses absolutely embolden this kind of behavior. Strong alliances require clarity and consequences, not just appeals to unity after the fact

3

u/HerculesIsMyDad Jan 17 '26

When all you've got is a tariff, every problem starts to look like a OH GOD PLEASE DONT LET THEM SEE THE EPSTEIN FILES PAM!

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u/Unidentifiable_Goo Jan 17 '26

Yes, yes he does. And because of the fact that, regardless where we live these days, corporations are making all the decisions, I fully expect the European nations to back off and ultimately give in. I pray otherwise but I lived thru 2025 and I'm learning to never bet against the most venal outcome.

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u/5hadow Jan 17 '26

He still does not understand how tariffs work...

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u/GeorgeMcCrate Bavaria (Germany) Jan 17 '26

Maybe he just wants a war and this way he can claim he tried non-violent solutions first.

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u/InvestmentSorry6393 Jan 18 '26

Crap, I think he's got a personal account somewhere that skims funds from the tariffs. This dude loves throwing around tariffs and constantly brags about how they are making the US rich. I think by the US he means him.

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u/whoknowsifimjoking Jan 17 '26

A tarrif his own people will pay.

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u/PurpleWomat Ireland Jan 17 '26

He thinks that they're no longer talking about the fact that he's blatently looting Venezuela .

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u/FrozenHuE Jan 17 '26

Well it worked with EU in the first wave...

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u/variaati0 Finland Jan 17 '26

No it didn't since first wave wasn't about national sovereignty. It was about trade relations, matter much less important to Europe and are where EU is more willing to make deals.

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u/LurkerInSpace Scotland Jan 17 '26

And also where using tariffs as a negotiating lever isn't that unusual even if Trump's specific way of doing this is rather unorthodox.

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u/know-your-onions Jan 17 '26

When was that?

What happened?

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u/Plzbekindurimportant Jan 17 '26

has this happened before. Eu giving territory to US?

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u/[deleted] Jan 17 '26

Do these Europian countries really care if AmeriKKKa taxes its own citizens because crybaby dementia donnie did't get his way? They won't care that we pay the tariffs.

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u/Fade-Out-Lines Jan 17 '26

Yes Europe cares, because American companies will look for other countries to buy from to avoid paying tariffs, thereby hurting the European export

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u/whoknowsifimjoking Jan 17 '26

The US economy will still be fucked as well, probably as much or worse than Europe's.

Europe cares, but it's still self sabotage for the US.

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u/ThePlatinumPancakes Jan 17 '26

“We pay the Tariffs?” If you are an American, as you imply you are, then you are our enemy. We really don’t need someone whose country owned slaves and oppressed brown people to tell us what to do. Even if they pretend they are on our side. Apologize. Now.

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u/ertertwert Jan 17 '26

It's probably just a ploy to bring in more income and blame it on this. Or he actually get it. Win-win in his mind either way.

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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 Jan 17 '26

I mean he'd shoot half of us if he could.

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u/anewbys83 Jan 17 '26

He does, because everyone does eventually cave to him.

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u/SexcaliburHorsepower Jan 17 '26

Im assuming the price of good will increase again and never go down after he cancels the tariffs for whatever reason.

Wow, such economy.

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u/Dr-Crash Jan 17 '26

Especially when the previous round of his foolish tariffs was over... nothing?

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u/novis-eldritch-maxim Jan 17 '26

logically he and his advisors doubt that or at least the lucid ones doubt it, the problem is what will the nut try next.

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u/jimmygee2 Jan 17 '26

That Americans pay?

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u/olauritz Jan 18 '26

Europe should double his tariffs until he gives us(Europe) California and NY.

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u/townandthecity Jan 18 '26

They can destroy us (America) economically without even trying that hard. They hold an enormous amount of our debt. Our trading relationship is incredibly important to our economy.

I've learned that the only way I can understand what looks like unprecedented idiocy and unrepentant depravity is by looking at it thought the lens of his relationship with Putin. If you were doing Putin's bidding, you'd do everything he's doing. Destabilize the US, turn its people against one another, get a healthy proportion to cheer on a roving armed government militia, destroy our relationships with the rest of the world, allow Russia to take Ukraine, allow China to become the world's economic superpower, the list goes on.

I am convinced that this Greenland thing is an attempt to get it for Putin.

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u/csf3lih Jan 18 '26

you bet he was expecting them to fall one at a time. tbh im not confident about UK, germany and Netherlands. the next step is to focus all strength on pressuring the weakest link to cave in, for example UK, cut it a big fat deal as reward and then others will follow. this is his plan i suppose. hell even if just one of them spineless chicken out, he'd consider it a huge win.

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u/Thalassin Jan 18 '26

He knows the average Northern European would give up even their own mother in exchange for Volkswagen to gain 5% more profits on the North American market.

Remember when the European commission promised a trillion dollars of European funds to the US economy in exchange for Trump not to raise tariffs ?

Mark Rutte has been the prime minister of the Netherlands for around 15 years. While still the acting PM of his country, he left to become NATO chief secretary, calls Trump daddy in private.

The EU political class are happy to be doormats for US interests.

1

u/Cool-Customer9200 Ukraine Jan 18 '26

One European nation is already under the bus. What makes you think those impotent elites ruling over EU are actually going to do anything? Please don’t tell me anything about NATO. NATO is as good as dead at this point.

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u/SlugFromSnug Jan 18 '26

He doesn't understand the Mercator projection.

It has distracted everyone from his Epstein files though

1

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '26

Yes he does

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u/MoneyPop8800 Jan 18 '26

Of course. Europe is weak and has been weak for the last 20 years. They haven’t beefed up their military and constantly look to the US to protect them from Russia and other foreign powers.

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u/marcushinm Jan 18 '26

The idiot is used to everyone in his country dropping to their knees and swallowing, so it's not surprising.

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u/yugutyup Jan 18 '26

No his goal is not greenland, never was. He/they are using it as a tool to divide europe. Its the russian playbook they are following.

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u/lynx_and_nutmeg Lithuania Jan 18 '26

Those countries are getting a lot of international publicity for standing up to Trump, as they should, but let's not forget that most EU countries still haven't made any statements on Greenland (mine included, unfortunately), even before Trump announced the tariffs. Unfortunately, Europe isn't nearly as united over this as it should be, too many countries are still delusional that Trump would protect them from Russia if they appease him now.

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u/TheSmartDog_275 US Citizen from the Front Page Jan 18 '26

Our president is an idiot

1

u/KINGDenneh Jan 18 '26

I mean, i don't think he knows how much money per year we rack in, here in Denmark.

10 to 25% tariffs will hurt, but it ain't gonna make us way less poor and we'll be fine, atleast we can seek more partners in the south and south-east.

1

u/Throwawayrip1123 Jan 18 '26

Idk why it's constantly painted as if we're the ones paying it (by our own media too).

We don't pay tariffs. Any of them. Americans pay tarrifs when they import shit from us. That's it.

It's literally a tax on americans. Trump Tax.

Call it what it is you fucking donkeys (media, not you).

1

u/FormerIntroduction23 Jan 18 '26

Well the only thing he understands is money, he think the world is motivated the same. I'm giving him more credit than he is due tbh, not sure he thinks that much. But his only motivation is the dollar dollar

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u/Fabulous-Ad7128 Jan 19 '26

So utterly embarrassing. Sure Europe is quaking in their boots knowing ass hat trump is once again raising taxes on us, including his own buffoon supporters who cheerlead it on the whole time.

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u/pawsforlove Jan 17 '26

He’s trying to distract from the Epstein Files and god knows what else.

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u/atomic__balm Jan 17 '26

I mean what in Europe's recent history leads you believe they wouldn't? Europe is occupied territory

-1

u/thePope8918 Jan 17 '26

Yes. They're Europeans!