Tariff Tensions: Trump's Greenland Gambit Rattles Global Markets

Global markets are in turmoil as President Trump announces new tariffs targeting Europe unless the U.S. can buy Greenland. This move has sparked outrage across European Union nations, impacting currency and stock markets, while reigniting discussions on U.S.-EU trade relations amid geopolitical tensions.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 19-01-2026 07:40 IST | Created: 19-01-2026 07:40 IST
Tariff Tensions: Trump's Greenland Gambit Rattles Global Markets
This image is AI-generated and does not depict any real-life event or location. It is a fictional representation created for illustrative purposes only.

Global markets are reeling after President Donald Trump's declaration of new tariffs targeting eight European countries unless Greenland is sold to the U.S. This geopolitical maneuver introduces fresh volatility, sending stocks into a tailspin and weakening the dollar.

Major European Union countries condemned Trump's announcement as economic blackmail, with France proposing unprecedented economic retaliations. The euro gained to $1.1628 amid broad dollar sell-offs, although European markets like EUROSTOXX 50 and DAX futures dipped. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei fell by 1% as hopes for trade tranquility dwindled.

Although investors initially dismissed Trump's tariffs as bluster, the latest announcement has rekindled fears. The U.S. markets are taking a back seat due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, yet the safe-haven yen and Swiss Franc have seen gains in lieu of the dollar's decline.

Give Feedback