EU Parliament Considers Delaying US Trade Deal Over Trump’s Greenland Threats

BRUSSELS: The European Parliament is considering putting the European Union’s implementation of its trade deal with the United States on hold in protest over threats by US President Donald Trump to seize Greenland.

The parliament has been debating legislation to remove many EU import duties on US goods the core of the trade agreement and to extend zero tariffs on US lobster imports, a measure first agreed with Trump in 2020.

Lawmakers were due to set their position in votes scheduled for January 26–27, but members said the vote should now be postponed.

Senior members of the European Parliament’s cross-party trade committee met on Wednesday morning to discuss whether to delay the vote. No decision was reached, and the group agreed to reconvene next week.

A parliamentary source said left-wing and centrist political groups supported taking action, including a possible postponement.

Separately, a group of 23 lawmakers urged European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Wednesday to freeze work on the agreement as long as the US administration continues to threaten taking control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.

“If we go ahead and approve a deal that Trump views as a personal victory, while he lays claim to Greenland and refuses to rule out any means of achieving this, it will be seen as rewarding him and his actions,” said the letter drafted by Danish lawmaker Per Clausen.

Most signatories were members of Clausen’s Left Group, along with lawmakers from the center-left Social Democrats and the Greens.

Greens lawmaker Anna Cavazzini said the only argument in favor of the deal was to provide stability.

“Trump’s actions show again and again that chaos is his only offer,” she said.

French lawmaker Valerie Hayer, head of the centrist Renew Europe group, said on Tuesday the EU should consider delaying a vote if Trump’s threats persist.

Many lawmakers have criticized the deal as unbalanced, noting that the EU would cut most import duties while the United States maintains a general tariff rate of 15 percent.

However, delaying the agreement could anger Trump and risk higher US tariffs. The Trump administration has also ruled out any concessions including lowering tariffs on spirits or steel until the deal is approved.