One US state may pay the price for Europe's backlash against Trump's Greenland tariffs
The President has threatened EU countries with tariffs, which could lead to retaliatory measures.
Jan. 20 2026, Published 9:41 a.m. ET
Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants Greenland under American control, and he isn’t afraid to pull out all the stops. While the President has not taken military action off the table, his first plan of action seems to be using tariffs to pressure the countries that believe Greenland’s future rests only with Denmark. The problem, which Trump hasn’t been able to realize, is that Americans are the ones who will be the worst affected.
After Trump announced his plan to take control of Greenland, several European nations have sent their troops to the Arctic island. This includes long-time allies of the US such as the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Some of these nations have threatened retaliatory measures against these tariffs, which could harshly impact a lot of people and businesses in North Carolina. “This is something which will be very costly to the U.S.,” Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said.
According to a report in WFMY News 2, North Carolina exports approximately $10.7 billion in goods to EU countries each year, supporting more than 37,000 jobs statewide. The largest exports of the state to the continent include pharmaceuticals and aerospace products. Both these industries are big among EU countries. If they decide to hit back at the Americans with tariffs of their own, the Republican Party would end up with a serious problem on its hands.
North Carolina has been volatile lately, and if they end up taking the brunt of a potential tariff war, it is safe to say that Trump’s popularity among voters would sink further than it already has. The midterm elections are scheduled to take place in November this year, and the Republicans would not want the waning of support from one of their strongholds.
Experts in Europe believe that the best way to hit back at Trump would be to economically hurt the states that have always supported him. This could lead to the President losing majority support and power after the November elections. “If they’re smart, they’ll direct tariffs toward Trump’s allies,” said Rasmus Søndergaard, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies. “The idea would be to hit the support base rather than states already opposed to him.”
While some of Trump’s aides, like Scott Bessent, Marco Rubio, and JD Vance, are in full support of taking over Greenland, Republicans in North Carolina are growing aware of the danger their state potentially faces. Republican Senator Thom Tillis is already pushing back against the President’s agenda. He said that there was “no need or desire for a costly acquisition or hostile military takeover of Greenland,” as the US already had close relations with Denmark and its NATO allies. Tillis added that any hostility would be “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies.”
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