Trump hits Denmark and 7 other Nato allies with tariffs to force Greenland sale

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would charge a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations, all NATO members, because of opposition to US control of Greenland.He said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff, which would be raised to 25 per cent on June 1 if a deal was not in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.The threat of tariffs was a drastic and potentially dangerous escalation of a showdown between Trump and NATO allies, further straining an alliance that dates to 1949 and provides a collective degree of security to Europe and North America.The Republican president has repeatedly tried to use trade penalties to bend allies and rivals alike to his will, generating investment commitments from some nations and pushback from others such as China, Brazil and India.It was unclear how Trump could impose the tariffs under US law, though he could cite economic emergency powers that are currently subject to a US Supreme Court challenge.Trump said in his social media post that his tariffs were retaliation for recent trips to Greenland by representatives from Britain, the Netherlands and Finland and for general opposition to his efforts to purchase the semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.